Longing…? December 15, 2009
Posted by pbbaughman in Busyness.trackback
Have you ever noticed how many people in the Christmas Story are unknown? Some of them are named and some of them are not, but most of them are pretty much nobodies historically. It seems to me He appears to people who have two characteristics, regardless of their earthly stature. I used to say He appeared to those who were looking for him, but there were a lot of people looking for him who He didn’t show himself to. The religious leaders were looking for him with the curiosity of knowledge, but that didn’t seem to be enough. It’s interesting that when the Magi asked where He would be born, they were able to tell them, but none were interested in joining them to find him.
It was like God knew the way to circumvent all the proud and arrogant lookers and only make himself visible to those who’s looking for him came out of a longing for him to come.
Quite a thought, isn’t it? Do we long for him to show up or just look for him to justify our religious leanings. Do we long for the change that he’ll bring to our world or do we smugly think it’ll be an “I told you so” moment for us to revel in?, Are we living now with the deep hope, that in the less than perfect persons we know ourselves to be, He will be formed? When we see others are we looking eagerly for Him in them, or judging them with our proud knowledge?
The Apostle Paul makes this wonderful observation in his second letter to Timothy, chapter four, verse eight: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”. NIV (emphasis mine)
It seems to me that longing is one of those deep emotions that cause us to make “foolish” decisions. Like saying yes to an angel that says you’re going to be pregnant with the Messiah. Or choosing to take a pilgrimage to find a baby that will bring hope to the world. Or running to a manger when my flocks are still on the hillside. Or spending my life in the temple praying for His coming. Or asking to die in peace because I am holding a baby that I just know inside is the one God told me about…Or living simply so I can bring hope from my treasures to someone whose life is empty or sad or difficult or lacks justice, and show them that I am longing for His coming to them, and am confident that He will come back like He said He would.
In other words: Our looking for Him is so filled with longing for what it means to have Him back, that the way we live becomes the red carpet of welcome that others see us putting down for His return.
Until Sunday Evening,
Pastor Ben
I want to put in an enthusiastic “great reads” to both books that Brenda mentions. Both of them have left me breathless with longing.
During this season of my life I have found myself longing to know Him… not just about Him… but to have this relationship with Him. Sometimes its like this longing feeling catches me by surprise and comes from way down deep. Leaving me with this desire for Him. In the book “All The Way to Heaven” by Elizabeth Sherrill I have found this desire spring up within me for Heaven…a deep longing for Him that I can’t explain, but springs up like a well. The book has challenged me to think differently about how God sees me and His purpose for me… and to see others in a different light as well. Like in The Shack God’s response to the guys in the rock band that God saw their hearts just not their exterior… so God didn’t shut Himself off from them. God longs for relationship with us… all of the “us’s”. I hope that I am able to put out the red carpet for those that I come in contact with… that they can have the opportunity to see the God of heaven in their life.