“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.'” John 4:13-14a (NLT)

Longing

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.”
Psalm 42:1 (NLT)

For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to the water. Stream, river, pond, lake, or ocean, it doesn’t matter. The truth be told, I’ve even been known to seek out a puddle after the rain to satisfy the persistent longing I feel.

Have you felt it too? That unoccupied space somewhere deep within and leaves you wanting?

How we seek to fill that void is different for each of us and we need to be careful because we’re vulnerable to looking in the wrong places and at the wrong things to rid ourselves of the emptiness. 

While there’s nothing wrong with a desire for the peace, contentment, and refuge I find near water (replace this with your own version), do I, do you, so long for what God provides in the same way? The Psalmist says, just like a deer thirsts for a drink of water, his soul thirsts for God. Are we seeking God to satisfy our longings as much or even more than we do earthly solutions?

Here’s what I’m learning about longing:

The more we go to God with our emptiness for His fulfillment, the less we desire those things we’ve attempted to use on our own. Do you have a depleted, parched soul? I know it happens to me. Before we plan to do something about it, let’s remember to “so” long for God’s refreshment first, letting Him be the biggest desire of our heart.