Longing for You

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

Falling in love is such a sweet time.

You get butterflies and feel nervous when speaking to your new companion. You long to spend time with them, hear their voice, and be in their presence.

Developing the relationship is fun. You learn new things about each other all the time. And sometimes you face challenges when characters clash, so you must commit to work through problems rather than give up.

Being in love with Jesus, though, is just as powerful as being in love with another person—even more so actually! The love goes deeper. Deep speaks to deep. He knows us, and we come to know Him more and more.

I share all of this because Psalm 42:1 evokes such passionate feelings of love for God.

A deer, when longing for water, parched and desperate for a drink, searches out ‘water relentlessly. They wander for miles and miles, gathering a sense of direction as they go, and doing all they can to stay on track. When they finally find the flowing streams of water, they rejoice! They finally found what they were longing for.

The wait and the desperation have made the fulfillment of the longing all the more special. This, my friends, can beautifully illustrate how we feel about our Savior.

Sometimes we can lose that first-love feeling and plod along, not rejoicing in the joy of our salvation. The love can grow cold and become perfunctory. We must do all we can to avoid this place.

One way we can keep the fires of love stoked between Jesus and us is to dwell in His Word daily. Another is to speak to Him. Spend time communicating your heart, desires, dreams, and struggles with God.

Like any good relationship, your friendship with Christ will flourish the more time you invest in it. Draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you (see James 4:8).

And when you find yourself in that sweet spot of longing for Christ, longing for more of Him, relish it. Jesus satisfies in a way that nothing and no one else can.

Be blessed as you drench yourself in His presence, again and again, growing and living in love.

~

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.