8/29 "Searching for Love"

Searching for Love

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.

~ Psalm 84:4

I was skimming through a book lent to me by a preacher friend (Discovering God’s Will Together by Danny E. Morris) and was struck by these words: “Nothing is more urgent in our lives or in our congregations than yearning to know and do God’s will. We must keep our eyes and hearts on our purpose and goal.” Obviously the book was written for those in the clergy, but it raises the question for everyone: What is your longing, your passion, your priority, your driving force in life?

There must be, in anyone who takes the trouble to go to church, or pray on a regular basis, or read the Bible, at least some nagging sense that they are living in a world that was created by a higher power, and that they want to find and make a connection with Him. It is, I think, important for us to recognize this in ourselves. It’s as basic an urge as hunger or sex; and it is no accident that we have it. God wants us to seek Him, and He builds into us a need to ensure that we will go looking for Him. Those of us who have the gift bend towards God the way a tulip seeks the sun even though it’s buried under six inches of earth. We can’t see Him, but we know which direction to go to find Him anyway.

Nobody said it better than St. Augustine: “O God, You have created us for Yourself and our souls are restless and searching until they find their rest in You.” Yet we see people who are constantly having “existential crises” and haven’t a clue what is behind them. If you mention God, or especially Jesus, you are likely to get rolled eyes, before they go back to bemoaning their mysterious misery.

Don’t be afraid to think of getting a dose of God every day as filling a need. When I get upset over some trivial matter, there is nothing like a long talk with God to set me straight. And if I don’t pray and don’t read my Bible, it’s like some little thing nagging at the back of my consciousness.

This is, to me, what dwelling in the Lord’s house means. I want to praise Him, confess to Him, love Him, and feel His presence in my life, every day. It’s nothing to be ashamed of! It brings us to eternal salvation. We are looking for love in all the right places.

Lord God, thank you for giving me the instinct to find you and the means of doing so. Amen.

~ Mason Barge