Mid-Week Lent 6Psalm 63:1-8; Ecclesiastes 5:10-19
2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Matthew 6:24-33
We all know what
it's like to long for something, to have a deep desire for an object, a person,
a relationship, or a feeling about things. We may long for different things,
but we all experience the sense of longing.
Longing in and of itself is neither good nor bad. But what we long for can be good or bad,
beneficial to us or harmful to us, pleasing to God or an affront to Him. Still, whatever it is we are longing for
there is only one thing that can fill up that longing: satisfaction.
We learn from God's
Word and from our own sinful experiences that worldly cravings cannot be
satisfied. Ecclesiastes 5:10 sums it up
well, "Whoever loves money, never has money enough." Whether we long for money or the things that
money can be used to acquire for us, when our hearts are set on the what the
world offers to satisfy us we will always be left empty. As much as we think that a certain amount of
money, a highly desired possession, a much sought after relationship, or any
other worldly thing can satisfy us, we learn -- often through very difficult
lessons -- that they do not quench our desires.
They do not because they cannot.
What we are actually longing for is something far different and far more
than what we think we want for ourselves.
When we turn to the
Lord with our prayers of longing we find that He is pleased to answer us with
satisfaction. He works this satisfaction
in us by first shifting our cravings and desires from the things of this world
to the things of His Kingdom. He shows
us what it means to "seek first His righteousness and His
Kingdom." Then, when our hearts are
set on things above, He adds to our lives all of the things that the
"pagans run after" without ever being satisfied. Then, on top of all that He gives to us to
fill up our longings, He adds the promise of eternal riches sealed and guaranteed
with the Holy Spirit. In answering our
prayers of longing, God grants us more than our hearts could ever desire.
Audio file of the sermon based on this reflection
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