But to You I have cried out, O LORD, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.
– Psalm 88:13
These are uncertain times. We look around and wonder what has happened to the country we love. We realize that the things we have taken for granted have never been guaranteed; we must protect them. Our lives have been filled with blessings by the grace of God, not by entitlement. As you scan a horizon that is no longer so familiar, do you have a better understanding of how futile it is to live only for yourself? Even hard times serve a purpose in God’s kingdom; they turn our hearts to our Creator–the only One who truly knows what we need.
God has placed a longing in our souls for Him. Do you now sense the deep void within which comes from the Fall of Man? Since Man walked away from God and disobeyed His commands, distance has shrouded the canopy of Heaven and an impenetrable dome hangs over our heads like a cloud of despair and death. Sin separates us from God and misleads us to place God on trial as if He is the guilty party and we have done no wrong. How insidious is the sin that fractures our relationship with our Creator! We need God to deliver us from ourselves.
Listen to a man in the book of Psalms, possibly one of the Sons of Korah named Heman the Ezrahite, as he cries out to God for relief. He states his condition to the Lord but fails to honestly explain how he arrives in his state of desperation. It is evident that he has stepped out of the presence of the Lord which is a dangerous place to be. Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. (Psalm 88:1-3) Here is a man desperate to hear from God, but as the Psalm continues, we read of how Heman is consumed with himself and his needs.
Verse after verse, he speaks of his lack of strength, his self-pity, and his depressing thoughts. In the midst of his gloomy distress, he tells the Lord that he is like a slain man lying in the grave of despair. He accuses God of not remembering him and informs God that He has placed him not only in a pit of death, but in the lowest pit. He is a desperate soul. Are you desperate yet? What must happen for you to cry out to God? And when you do, do you blame Him?
God has placed a longing for Him within us because He wants to fill us with Himself. His plan is to meet every need we have. For those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, God comes to live inside through His Holy Spirit. When He abides in us, the longing of our hearts is satisfied, and we experience the fullness of joy only His presence can bring. And every trial, persecution, or fear no longer robs us of our peace, but they become opportunities to pray, trust, and rejoice. O Beloved wait no longer! The longing in your heart is His invitation to experience new life in Christ.
Down inside we have a longing for God–what Pascal called “the vacuum which God left behind.” Billy Graham
Heavenly Father, my heart longs for You and You alone. I know now that there is nothing else that satisfies. Only You make sense of my life and I want to live for You. I am so sorry for my sin; please forgive me. Thank You for making a way for me on the cross. Thank You for Jesus! Amen
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