Yearning

"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." ~Psalm 84:2

 

Is that true? Does my soul yearn for the courts of the Lord? Can this really be said of me? Does my heart and flesh actually cry out for the living God? What does my soul yearn for? What is the cry of my heart and my flesh?

This week I’m thinking about cravings. What do I crave? What do I want to crave versus what do I actually crave? Can my cravings be tamed or even changed?

Craving. A powerful desire for something.

Longing.

Yearning.

Hankering.

Appetite.

Ache.

So often these words are used in reference to food. We crave certain foods. Chocolate. Ice cream. Strawberries. Mexican food. Red Robin. Fruit. Just to name a few of my recent cravings. If I focus on these cravings for too long, chances are pretty good that I’m going to do something about the craving. I’m going to indulge in whatever it is that I’m hankering for. Not all cravings are bad. It would be great if I craved fruit and veggies even more than I currently do! My body would thank me! But all too often, I crave the foods that are not healthy, the foods that will not help me achieve my goal of being healthier. Which craving is stronger….the one to eat junk foods or the one that wants to get healthier? That depends on the day!

In the verse above, the psalmist is talking about his own cravings. His spiritual cravings. He has a powerful desire for something. Someone. When we hear someone talk about cravings in these types of words (years, faints, cry out), we may be tempted to roll our eyes and think they are being rather dramatic. But when you apply these words to our spiritual cravings, it has a whole different meaning. I want to yearn for God. I want to cry out for the living God. I want to have a craving, a powerful desire for Him. A longing for God that can’t be satisfied with the junk of this world.

Why do I crave the junk of this world that won’t satisfy? Why do I settle for less? What gets in the way of me having a craving for God?

Busyness.

A hectic life.

Loneliness.

Stress.

Frustration.

Even ministry, that is doing for God, can get in the way of me craving God and just wanting to be with Him.

Right now, for me, it comes down to priorities. How am I prioritizing my time? What am I placing the most importance on? That question is easily answered by looking at how I spend my time. If I crave God and yearn to be with Him, then my time will be spent seeking Him, praying, listening to Him. When that craving gets shoved aside for the junk of this world, I can find myself stressed, too busy, confused and not living in the peace of Christ.

 
Matthew 6:33 says to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

I want to seek God above all else this year. I want to be able to cry out with the Psalmist and say, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Lord, help me to crave You.

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