Perpetual Longing

Ezekiel 34:7-16

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. (Ezek. 34:16)

GOD LONGED to take care of His people, Israel. His longing to rescue them is evident in Ezekiel 34:7-16. The men who were supposed to take care of the Israelites had taken care of themselves instead. Because of this, God said that He would search for His people. He wanted them back. He longed to find, heal, and strengthen them. Do you ever long for something? Maybe you long to go home, to be married, to have children, to have a new job, the possibilities are endless. Longing is a powerful emotion, isn't it? Every fiber of your being aches and is focused on the object of your desire. You'll do whatever is within your power to obtain it. Sometimes our longings are fulfilled. Sometimes our longings dissipate. Sometimes they linger for months, and even years. There is one longing we should always have . . . as God longed to take care of His people, let us long to introduce God to the people in our lives who don't know Him. We have the life-changing message of salvation that they need. They're lost without God. They're bound for never-ending turmoil and eternal separation from God. Longing to see others come to faith in Jesus should be a perpetual longing, a longing we experience through our entire life.

Tami Stevenson 

Ask God to develop a longing within you to see a loved one saved.