LONGING
HEART
BREAD
13 All these people were still living by faith when they
died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed
them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on
earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking
for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had
left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead,
they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 (NIV)
10 I want to know
Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow,
to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not
consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward
the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ
Jesus. Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)
1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is
destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built
by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our
heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found
naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are
burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our
heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now
it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as
a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NIV)
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then
we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as
I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I
have put my hope in your word. Psalms
119:81 (NIV)
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. 132 Turn
to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct
my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalms 119:130-133 (NIV)
1 O
God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body
longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalms 63:1 (NIV)
7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you
make the way of the righteous smooth. 8 Yes,
LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are
the desire of our hearts. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my
spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of
the world learn righteousness. Isaiah
26:7-9 (NIV)
18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
BUTTER
“As humans, we
have heads, and therefore must be given facts and evidences and arguments in
order to make reasonable commitments. And we have hearts with longings and
yearnings and hopes and fears and desires. Therefore, if someone urges me to
commit myself to a certain goal, he must persuade my head that the goal is
really there as he says it is; and he must move my heart to feel the value of
attaining it.” John
Piper
“Lord,
when thou showest thyself, let me love thee; when my mountain stands strong,
let me praise thee; when thou withdrawest thyself, let me follow thee; when thy
countenance is hid, let me still believe that thou lovest me: under all my changes here, let my soul be
always breathing, panting, longing, and reaching after thee, till I shall so
perfectly enjoy thee, that I may never lose thee more Amen. Lord, guide me in this Christian race, and keep my mind
intent on thee; rejoicing when I see thy face, and trusting when I cannot see.”
K. H. Von Bogatzky
“If there is anything in your life more than your longing after
God, you will never be a Spirit-filled Christian.”
A. W. Tozer
“The people of God are to
model the new heaven and new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what
God will bring to pass.” Philip Yancey
“…..dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.” Charles Wesley
“The human heart longs for utopia –
some Shangri-La or Fountain of Youth that makes everything ‘right’ again. Somewhere deep inside is an impulse hungering
for a place where wounds are healed, conflict is resolved, pressures cease,
desires are fulfilled, and death doesn’t hang over our heads. The vestiges of Eden remain in our hearts; we
know the world isn’t as it should be. We
want something – or someone – to make it right.
The theologically correct solution, from a Christian’s point of view, is
that the Son of God will return and make all things new. And, in fact, He is already renewing those
who believe in Him. But the re-genesis
we look for, the gleaming paradise hidden in our longings, hasn’t fully
appeared. We saw glimpses of it in
Jesus’ earthly ministry – love, healings promises, restoration; we see it in in
various lives and ministries today; and we see a picture of it at the end of
Revelation. There’s one thing in common
in all such pictures: His Presence. Whenever He manifests Himself openly, perfection
begins to emerge….And in the end, we will see perfection and completion in all
its fullness.” Chris Tiegreen
“There is a
hope that burns within my heart That gives me strength for every passing day A
glimpse of glory now revealed in meagre part Yet drives all doubt away I stand
in Christ with sins forgiven And Christ in me the hope of heaven My highest
calling and my deepest joy To make His will my home. There is a hope that lifts my weary head A
consolation strong against despair That when the world has plunged me in its
deepest pit I find the Saviour there Through present sufferings future's fear He
whispers courage in my ear For I am safe in everlasting arms And they will lead
me home. There is a hope that stands the
test of time That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave To see the matchless
beauty of a day divine When I behold His face When sufferings cease and sorrows
die And every longing satisfied Then joy unspeakable will flood my soul For I
am truly home.” Stuart Townend
“What we are
longing for, deep down inside, is not Christmas, but Christ; not merriment, but
the Messiah; not goodwill, but God; not presents, but His presence in our
lives. Anyone or anything short of that will disappoint.” Greg
Laurie
HEART SAVOR
·
Our
hearts actually all long for heaven – though often we do not perceive it as such
- where all things will be made right.
·
Jesus is
our sufficiency, Jesus is our strength. He
is the fulfilment of all our longings. He is the Source of Perfect Peace. There is no lasting peace without Him.
·
“Hope deferred
makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
