What We Long For
“He longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but
nobody gave him any.”
–Luke 15:16
The verse
above is found in the story that traditionally has been called The Prodigal Son,
The Lost Son, or The Forgiving Father. This parable holds many lessons for us;
here’s one to consider:
We’re given
details indicating that the father was wealthy. The younger son asked for his
share of his inheritance while his father was still alive (see Luke 15:12) and ‘set
off to a distant country’ (v. 13). While it was cruel to essentially tell his
father he wished his father were dead, his wanting to get away from home isn’t
much different from our own desires to move out on our own, travel and explore.
He wanted to see what the rest of the world was like and how the people out
there lived. Although he had everything he needed, he longed for something
different and thought he would find it if he had the freedom to get out.
This verse
makes it clear that, after a time, he found himself unhappy, starving, and alone.
His new ‘friends’ left him when he ran out of money. Even the detested pigs ate
better than he did. He had thought that getting ‘out there’ and away from his
father would make him happy, but any happiness he experienced was short-lived.
Sometimes
we, too, look outside ourselves for happiness, peace, and love. We mistakenly think
that there is such a thing as a ‘perfect’ job, house, or spouse. We think we’ll
be happy if only we could find it and may spend a lifetime chasing after it.
Augustine of
Hippo once said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and
our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Nothing on earth can satisfy this longing
in our hearts because what we’re longing for is Perfect Love and Perfect Peace
– God Himself. Until we meet Him in eternity, we will find only glimpses of this
Love and Peace here on earth.
God is love.
He lives in you; He’s everywhere you are. Open your eyes to His presence. Allow
Him to draw you closer to Himself and to fill your heart with more and more of
His love. How? Some people take a moment each morning to write down three
things they’re grateful for. Some sit outside or by a window and thank God for
showing His love through nature. Some turn to the psalms or other Scripture
passages for reminders of His love.
When you
feel restless, remember that God created you. He designed you to long for Him
-- Perfect Peace and Perfect Love. When you open your heart to His love and see
Him all around you, you’ll get a glimpse of the joy and peace that awaits you
in eternity.
“Lord, draw me closer
to You. My heart will be restless until I rest in You.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina
Bedell Comments are always welcome!
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