Isaiah 26:9  ~  “Cause my soul to yearn for you in the night and long for you in the morning.”

I read this verse this morning and just love it. I love the word yearn…to long for, to crave, to seek after and desire.  It’s a good word when that yearning can be filled. It’s not such a good word when it can’t be filled. The good news is that when the yearning is for God, He’s right there. That longing for hope and life and light and truth, no matter how hard the truth, can be filled. But even more, that yearning for His Presence can be filled as well…

I’m aware of so many needs in the lives of  sweet friends and family right now. Heck, our world is a mess and seems to be spinning out of control…on the global, world-wide political scale, and in the lives of everyday people. But sometimes the thing that causes our soul to yearn for Him are the very causes which we would never choose.  Illness, adversity, loss of loved ones or things, isolation, un-welcomed transitions…these can be causes that cause us to look outside of ourselves.  These causes can remind us that we are not all powerful and can’t change things in the blink of an eye. They can remind us that we are temporal…that life is fleeting and we are here for a short time. They can remind us that no matter how independent or successful or innovative or creative or whatever we are, that there are things in this life, in this world, that we cannot control.

Maybe the flip-side, the beauty, of these unwanted causes is that they point us to,  dare I say, make us long for yearn for, crave, the Presence of the One who is all that we are not. These unwanted circumstances can make us seek beyond what is seen. It’s almost like these causes are an unwanted path, a difficult terrain that is excruciating to navigate…but the walking of them can lead to an awareness, a place, a destination far beyond what we had ever hoped. Or, we finally get that on this difficult terrain, we have a willing and present navigator, guide to be present along the way.  All through the Bible are verses about God’s leading. One of my favorites is :Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

And come what may, it’s good to know that we’re not alone and that He is accessible on any path, terrain, or circumstance. No matter the cause, if it causes us to yearn for Him in a new way, to seek Him, to crave His Presence, well, maybe the causes we fight so much wouldn’t be so bad. Because they are a gateway to greater things than what we could’ve gotten on easy street. I’m thinking there’s something in each of us that knows God IS. Maybe sometimes the things we would never choose are the very things which make us not only seek His Presence, but to see Him with eyes of faith all the more clearly.

Just a few thoughts from me this morning 🙂

Blessings~

Heather