Our deepest longings

There have been many versions of a quote, attributed to Blaise Pascal, regarding a 'God-shaped' vacuum in the human heart. While the sentiment remains the same, the actual quote is a lot more in depth.

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace?

This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words, by God himself”

Thought: We can search for things to fill our lives with meaning, but ultimately (in the words of Pascal), only God will satisfy our deepest longings.

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." - Matthew 6:33

Living in Grace

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Searching for God, or stopping to respond to his invitation?

"In fact, our search for God is only our response to his search for us. He knocks at our door, but for many people, their lives are too preoccupied for them to be able to hear." - Cardinal Basil Hume

There is so much truth in the words 'too preoccupied' - how many times have we felt so overwhelmed by all that we have to do, and all the noise that preoccupies our minds, that we can't hear the voice of God?

Instead of us trying to bash down imaginary doors to find out where God is hiding, why don't we pause for a while and listen where he is already knocking?

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." - Revelation 3:20

 Living in Grace

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Thirsty - Longing for God

"Just as a deer longs for running streams,
God, I long for you.
I am thirsty for God, for the living God!
When can I come and appear before God?
My tears are my food, day and night,
while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?” - Psalm 42:1-3

"The soul must long for God in order to be set aflame by God's love; but if the soul cannot yet feel the longing, then it must long for the longing. To long for the longing is also from God."- Meister Eckhart

"All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As deep cries out to deep"- Brenton Brown 

Thought: As you long for the presence of God, I pray that you would encounter God's mercy and grace.

Living in Grace

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Doing a little mining

“If you want to grow in the Word of God, become a person with a chisel and quarry the Word – look, explore, seek. Let the Word of God become your Word, and you will grow.” – Max Lucado

The idea of becoming a 'miner' of God's Word intrigues me. I believe that it necessary to approach the study of the Scriptures with intent, focus and the desire to 'mine the riches' that are hidden in the pages of the Bible. Of course, sometimes the treasures are in plain sight, but there are a few days when one really needs to dig deeper to find the precious gifts from God.

 2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:9 - Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 

Living in Grace

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Searching deep within

Psalm 7:9 – “… for you, the righteous God, look deep within the hearts of men/women and examine all their motives and their thoughts.” (Living Bible)

The Psalmist reminds us that it is only the Spirit of God that can penetrate deep into our hearts and souls, searching out our inner thoughts and motives.

I still maintain that one of the bravest prayers we can ever pray is:

"Search me, O God and know my heart." - Psalm 139:23

Living in Grace

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True Inspiration

"God's inspiration does not come to those who sit with folded hands and lazy minds and only wait, but to those who think and seek and search. True inspiration comes when the searching mind joins with the revealing Spirit of God." - William Barclay

I think these words teach us a lot about the value of Advent. Of course, Jesus is not only revealed to those who reflect on his birth, but I do believe that the more we 'seek' Christ, the more we discover him. 

So, this is my prayer for you this week:

May we find Jesus in the words of Scripture.
May we discover Christ in the chaos of our world.
May we encounter the Spirit of God in the songs of Christmas.
May we comprehend his grace in the touch of a friend.
May we be reminded of his love in the smell of the scented candle.
May we appreciate his incarnation in the silence of the night.

As you search for Christ this season, may you discover how close he truly is.

"Search and you will find." - Matthew 7

Living in Grace

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The illusive gift

If you hadn't realised it as yet, the world offers us many gifts to try and appease our feelings of unease. These take the form of many disguises and facades, but in the end, they usually fail to meet our deepest needs. Jesus steps into the fray and offers us something remarkably life-giving - it is the gift of himself. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

In my experience, the PEACE that we are invited to share, is not just a 'feeling', but a relationship with the ONE who is PEACE personified.

What do you feel?

Where do you find your peace? 

Living in Grace

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Being happy

Happiness is an elusive thing. We search long and hard for it, but we seldom find it. Perhaps it is because happiness is just an overflow of a deeper emotion - Joy. 

And Joy is not an emotional we can create ourselves, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. So, having said all this, maybe searching for happiness should really begin in the quiet moments with God. As we discover the Spirit of Joy, this will spill over into the happiness we seek. What do you think?

Psalm 21:6 - You have endowed him with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchable joy of your presence.

Living in Grace

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The Quester

In referring to Solomon in Ecclesiastes, Eugene Peterson speaks of him as "The Quester." It is an unusual term and one that is not often used anymore, but refers to the person who seeks out something (truth in this case.)

"Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth." (The Message)

"Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true." - Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 (NIV)

What is it that we are seeking at the moment?

Have we found Jesus Christ as the answer to all our seeking?

Living in Grace

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Still haven't found what I was looking for

"This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. " - Ecclesiastes 7:28-29

We are tempted to look at people who seem to have everything and believe that they are happy with life. It is almost as if we just assume that having a lot of "things" will be the golden ticket to our happiness. We have covered this ground before, but Solomon is honest enough to admit that he still hasn't found what he is looking for. It was the singer, song-writer, musician and poet, Bono who also added his lament to Ecclesiastes 7.

"I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for..." 

This year has been one of those moments to test all of our hearts. It is my prayer that we continue to lean into the mercies of Jesus and trust that God satisfy's your deepest longing.

Living in Grace

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13

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." - Matthew 13:44-46

I believe that the season of Lent is a time for us to reflect on the "treasure" we have in Jesus Christ. When we have discovered this amazing gift, we should consider how much we would be willing to 'lay down' for Christ. The two people in today's parable sold everything in order to purchase the treasure. 

Following Jesus is not a matter of giving a little, but rather a choice of laying down our lives for Christ. 


Living in Grace
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