Longing for Christ

"I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple." - Psalm 27:4 (HCSB)

I believe that our longing for Jesus is an anchor for our souls. Our hope for being in His very near, physical presence brings to us the courage to face another day; to combat the trials of this life. So often when I am feeling exhausted, or frustrated, or far from God, remembering that I have eternal hope gives me the strength to stand.

I daydream about what it'll be like in heaven, if I'm honest. I want to go on walks with my Savior. I want to see His face, look into His eyes, hold His hand. I want to ask Him questions, and I want to sit and listen to Him tell me the story of the world. I want to be in His presence, physically with Him, able to experience my Savior in a way that's beyond prayer or worship.

"I'd like to sail to lands afar, out on a boat that's built for two! Beneath the canopy of stars, that would be just like a dream come true; just to be with You! Oh, when we're together, oh, it seems like forever! Worries seem to fade away; they become as distant memories when we're together!" - Mark Harris

Imagine the wonder of it all. In the presence of my Jesus, after all this time; my heart is filled with longing for the day! MercyMe has a great song called "I Can Only Imagine" that was incredibly popular for a while, and I want to point out the title they gave for the album: "Almost There." Here's the chorus of the song:

"Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine!"

That pretty much sums it up; there is so much wonder and glory and anticipation, but we don't know for sure how we'll respond or act. All I know is that I'll be overwhelmed with a love for my Savior when I see Him.

For now, however, I've been set here upon the earth. God has a plan for my life, and it doesn't involve staying locked away in a safe Christian bubble while I watch the world pass away to the new things coming; no, God calls us to take action. To help bring about the new; to redeem our lives and actions and turn them back into worship; to reconcile ourselves to those we are at odds with; to bring love and grace into our fading world.

And sometimes, in this world, we can wear out. I know that many times, I grow tired. It seems sometimes that every day, I'm coming to God in prayer asking Him to give me energy for the day, to use my day for His glory, and to make me into the man He desires me to be. When I'm worn out, it's hard to celebrate my salvation. It's hard to smile. It seems like I'm just crying out to Jesus, "I need You, I need You, I need You."

And it's the hope that one day, my exhausted prayers will turn into excited worship that keeps me going. Knowing that one day, I'll be with my Best Friend, my Daddy, and my Redeemer fills me with hope. 

It did the same for King David. Here is the context for the verse referenced at the beginning of this post:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers came to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploy against me, my heart is not afraid; though war break out against me, still I am confident. I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple. For He will conceal me in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above the enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord." - Psalm 27:1-6 (HCSB)

This life may give us trouble, and our hearts may be heavy with a great number of things, but despite our troubles, we can know for certain that we will see our God glorified in heaven. As we live our lives in a way that honors Christ, we build up for ourselves an inheritance that cannot be taken away (2 Corinthians 4:17). However, the greatest inheritance of all is Jesus Christ, with whom we will have communion forever.

"I smile when You say my name, because no one's ever said it quite the same! On cue, it's You, perfect timing; dusting off that silver lining for me so I can finally see!" - Jamie Grace

"I am certain that I will see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:13-14 (HCSB)

When times get tough, to #LiveItLikeJesus means to remember His promise to us: that we get to spend an eternity with Him. That's something that we wouldn't ever want to pass up.