A Longing...Un-Quieted

As the deer pants for the water brooks, 

So my soul pants for You, O God.  

My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God; 

When shall I come 

and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1-2

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

My soul is consumed 

with longing 

for your laws at all times....

I open my mouth and pant, 

longing for your commands. 

Psalm 119:20,131

I will earnestly seek you. 

My soul thirsts for you. 

My flesh longs for you; 

 I cling to you; 

Psalm. 63:1, 8

My soul longs for the Lord 

more than watchmen 

long for the morning; 

Psalm 130:6

My hands are stretched out to you: 

my soul is turned to you,

 like a land in need of water. 

Psalm 143:6

SELAH... 

 

These are the heart renderings of a soul who craved fellowship with his Maker, and in response, God granted David his desire. We are defined by our desires. Our cravings expose our heart. So does our dissatisfaction. 

In Quietness and Confidence...

The Holy Spirit of God 

gently exposes my Heart.

I’ve cried a million tear drops in the past 2 days.  One by one they roll off my cheeks until I wipe them away.  They return with a vengeance…I choke them back behind the curtain….they suffocate my breath away. 

It doesn’t matter what I try to set my mind to.  Reading scripture, listening to anointed teaching from God’s Word, writing…to bring what’s hidden out into the open.

Right now, I’m listening to Greg Buchanan’s anointed harp music. Actually, it’s the only music I play in my house…it is the first thing I turn on in the morning. Always – for the past 6 years! I never tire of it. But these last two days…I am absorbing it! It feeds my spirit and settles into the vacant corners …untouched by human hands. Every high and vigorous note memorized. I KNOW all the songs by heart …they hook into a familiar place in my soul…learned many yesteryear's ago. 

And yet…this stirring …this shifting ….in my soul - will not be quieted. It continues to push its way upward…from the depths of my spirit… to find an outward expression….as is evidence of these relentless tears. 

There is no fear in this expressive journey.  And it is most definitely a journey; A journey of wholeness; A journey of quietness and confidence that compels me….draws me…calls me heavenward. A yearning journey for Home …over-comes me at times. 

I shift my earthly view towards heaven...frequently. It is that longing for ‘oneness’ that draws my spiritual eyes heavenward. It is His created 'need' in us, is it not - to yearn for the wholeness of His spiritual sunshine; To walk in the coolness of the day with Him…in His created garden of plenty and fruitfulness; To bask in the warmth of His Love; To dream of our heavenly home; To yearn for His promised return; To lay aside all earthly failures and frailties; To come into the Holy Presence of the Lord…in the Kingdom of Heaven; To live and reign with Him for eternity!  

TO  FINALLY  BE  HOME!

Those who do not understand…cannot understand…think that I’m not living in God’s appointed time for me...in the here and now.  I’m not here to debate their lack of understanding or my longing to be in the physical presence of my Lord. For me... it is a longing that simply cannot be quieted…this side of heaven. There simply is no debate. 

THIS IS NOT MY HOME! 

IN HEAVEN... there will be…

No Tears

No Sorrow of any kind

No Longing to belong 
or any other Longing

No Hate; Malice or Violence

No Racial Prejudices 
or Divisions

No Compulsion to Win; 
Attain; Acquire; Climb

No Want or Needs…
they’ll all be met

No Homelessness – 

we’ll have our 
personally prepared mansion

No Barrenness or Lack of any kind

No Sickness; Disease; or Pain – 

we will finally walk 
in our healing

No Political Parties – 

we’ll all serve the KING of all Kings…
in one accord

No Lies; Manipulation; 
Hidden Agendas; 

Deception or Maliciousness 

No War; Murder; Abortion 
or any other Death

No More Spilled Blood!

No Religious Spirit 
or any other Demonic Spirit

No Spiritual Divisions 
or Denominations – 

we will all worship 
the KING of all Kings 
with One Voice

No Brain Washing; 
Mind Control 
or any other Control

.......Need I go any further?......

IN HEAVEN....there will be…

Singing

Laughter

Joy

Peace

Kindness

Truth

Unity

Fruitfulness

Wholeness

Goodwill 
 Fulfillment 

The likes of which no one 
can experience this side of Heaven. 

THIS IS NOT MY HOME!

My soul longs for Thee O Lord.

In quietness and Confidence,

I rest in the assurance

of YOUR Promised

HOMECOMING!

Selah....

For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:

" You will be delivered by returning and resting; 

your strength will lie in quiet confidence. 

But you are not willing." 

Isaiah 30:15

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness 

And righteousness will abide in the fertile field. 

And the work of righteousness 

will be peace, 

And the service of righteousness, 

quietness and confidence forever.  

Then my people will live 

in a peaceful habitation, 

And in secure dwellings 

and in undisturbed resting places;…

Isaiah 32:16-18

UPDATE - 2/11/14

Picking up one of my favorite devotionals today... by Rick Renner... I was reminded of the treasure that came with the gift. My daughter ordered this 'Sparkling Gems from the Greek' on March 8th 2010. No reason other than to tell me that she loved me! It was a surprise and a JOY when I opened it. She had it mailed to me...on the same day that she mailed me a card with this copied devotion by Charles Spurgeon...from 'At the Masters Feet'.

More special than the thot...

than the gift...

was her hand written words 

at the bottom of Charles' words....

'THIS  IS  MY  MAMA! 

Yup Yup Yup

What  a  Blessing You  Are  to  Me !'

 7 beautiful words

every mama longs to hear.

Sometimes, we need to hear it! 

Sometimes we need to say it!

Sometimes we just need to know...

that our lives are a living Blessing.

I received this treasured note 
4 years ago...

and her mama 
is still gazing into Heaven.

The scripture that Rev. Spurgeon quoted 
was from Matt 6:19-21.

Interesting that this scripture  did not come up 
in my thot process of Heaven. 
My thots were focused on 
this deep longing 
that would not be quieted. 

After reading Spurgeon's words again...
I understood more - 

the WHY.... 
of my LONGING. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy, 

and where thieves break in and steal.  

“But store up for yourselves 

treasures in heaven, 

where neither moth nor rust destroys, 

and where thieves 

do not break in or steal;

for where your treasure is, 

there your heart will be also. 

Spurgeon writes...

Do you ever feel this onward impulse

of something you do not understand,

which impels you to have 

fellowship with God

beyond the skies?

Oh! if this be so,

rests assured that it is Christ who draws.

There is a link between you and Heaven,

and Christ is drawing that link

and lifting your soul forward toward himself.

If your heart is here below,

then your treasure is here;

but if your heart is up there...

if your brightest hopes,

your fondest wishes...

be in the heavenly places - 

your treasure is manifestly there,

and the title deed of that treasure

will be found in the eternal purpose of God,

whereby He ordained you unto Himself

that you might show forth His praise.

SPARKLING GEMS

  
O the JOY that awaits us 
in God's Kingdom

But I admit

I have a few of them down here as well.

My Children and their spouses,

their children...my grandchildren...

are all Special Gems indeed!

May we make that dashing entrance

into Heaven together.

Side by side as FAMILY...

Together Forever

with our Lord and King!

May It Be So!

Amen!

UPDATE 2/17/14

 After posting the first update...

I read this Sweet Dreams Devotional for 2/15/14

It was so encouraging I wanted to include it here as well.

Home Sweet Home

Do you ever feel less than totally satisfied, 
even in the comfort of your own home? 
Do you long in your heart for something more?

Your initial reaction to me might be, 
"Of course not, the Lord has blessed me 
with a lovely home and a happy family. 
How could I help but be totally satisfied?" 

But yet, deep within your heart, 
you recognize a restlessness in your spirit.

Don't feel guilty. 
It doesn't mean you are not 
properly grateful to your 
Heavenly Father for His blessings. 

On the contrary, 
it is more likely indicative of 
your eternal hope and trust in Him.
Those of us who believe implicitly 
in His Word cannot help but long, 
no matter how pleasant 
our earthly home may be, 
for the eternal heavenly home 
Jesus has promised us:

"There are many homes up there 
where my Father lives, 
and I am going to prepare them 
for your coming. 
When everything is ready, 
then I will come and get you, 
so that you can always 
be with me where I am..." 
(John 14:2-3, TLB).

Who can resist such a beautiful invitation? 
Who wouldn't look forward 
to the chance to share an eternity 
in the perfection of a home with the Lord?
It is a sure sign 
of surrender of our lives 
to our Lord that we wait, 
not always patiently, 
for the Lord to take us home with Him. 


We really wouldn't want it 
any other way, would we?


Let's Pray Together… 

Dear Father, 
while I am grateful 
for the earthly home 
You have provided me, 
I come before You tonight 
confessing a longing in my heart 
for the eternal heavenly home 
You have promised. 

Thank you 
that I can sleep peacefully tonight, Lord, 
assured of a place of perfection 
which will satisfy my every longing. 
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

~  Cerullo