“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for.” (1)
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Have you ever wanted some “thing” so much that you pursued it with persistence and perseverance, expended a great deal of time and energy and, perhaps, money into seeking a way to have it– only to discover that when you finally obtained it, you lost that feeling of really needing or even wanting it? In a short time, the item might be stuffed away in a closet, unused and forgotten, eventually ending up in a garage sale. “I have it now, so what’s the next ‘thing’ that gives me the same feeling of want and desire because I don’t have it yet?”

What we desire and want say a lot about us. How we pursue those things also speaks volumes. These are physical, observable wants, but what is really special to us and what we truly “ache for” may be hidden in a solitary quest of the heart and soul, only seen by God, El Roi, Who sees all.

“What makes something special is not just what you have to gain but what you feel there is to lose.”(2) Something that is very special goes beyond the “gain” of merely having it– to the “ache” of loss without it.

What do we truly “ache for?” Do we have an “ache” inside for Christ that is such a special desire and a want that we would do anything to never lose Him? Would we pursue a relationship with God at a greater degree of persistence and perseverance, giving our time in abundance, for such a yearning in our hearts and souls for Him?

The scriptures speak to this ache and yearning for the Lord, our God:

Isaiah 26:9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. . .

Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Psalm 143:6 I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

John 7:37-38 ³⁷ On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸ and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”

What we earnestly seek, we will find, if it is in God. What we find, we will hold dear in the God-given soul that aches for Him and longs to be with Him eternally.

Thank you, Lord, for this God-ache within us that yearns for You. Only in You can we fulfill all our wants, our desires, and our needs. Only in You, can we find true satisfaction and peace.  Amen.

(1) Oriah Mountain Dream, poet
(2) Andre Agassi, tennis pro

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/26/15)  teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

                     

What’s in a name? I told my high school students that their characters would be revealed and recalled through their names. Thus, each one needed to make sure that his or her name was not associated with the Public Record or behaviors like dishonesty and immoral actions. I confronted a senior about seeing her name in the Public Record and told her the next time I saw her name in print, it had better be for something good. It was—employee of the month, where she worked. She got a letter from me, congratulating her. She came to see me before I retired and told me she would keep her name clean, and I would only hear and see good things regarding her name and, thus, her character.

In distinct contrast to man who struggles daily in an attempt to maintain a good character, God’s character is  defined by goodness. The various aspects of God’s character are revealed through the many names He has been given that designate the multiplicity  of His being. The name “El Shaddai, Lord God Almighty,” shows us that God is powerful and sufficient for ALL our needs. We cannot meet our needs on Amazon, Google, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Wal-Mart, or Facebook. Someone added this third entry into the time frame of the historical calendar as seemingly significant in rank and importance: BC (before Christ), AD (Anno Domini–In the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ), and then BG (Before Google). Although Google can anticipate aspects of our interests ahead of our fingers fully typing in the words from cache records of our prior searches, IT does not KNOW us, neither can it be ever-present with us, nor can it fulfill our needs- and it certainly cannot control the elements.

Only God, the Almighty, can truly know us: Psalm 139:1-2 (1) You have searched me, LORD, and you know me (2) You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Only God, the Almighty, is everywhere at all times: Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
Only God, the Almighty, can meet our every need, even those we do not express: Matthew 6:7-8 (7) And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Only God, the Almighty, can control the elements–earth, water, air (wind), fire: Psalm 148:8 . . . lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding . . . Jeremiah 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

EL SHADDAI, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, is all-knowing, ever-present, ever-sufficient, and all-powerful. When we recognize our own insufficiencies, concede the deficiencies of any man-made creations and, then, fully acknowledge that He is all we need, we begin our journey toward knowing EL SHADDAI.

                                                We worship an awesome, Almighty God!
(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/12/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word