6 Core Longings of the Soul

Psalm 42:1

As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

The night of our grandchild’s birth in Australia we were 9675 miles away in Belize.

We had to settle for online updates through Messenger and Whatsapp.

I cried and prayed all through the night as we waited for the next message to arrive.

She was 9 months old before we could afford plane tickets to Australia. And it’s been two years since we last held her in our arms.

We don’t long for the things we have right near us.

We long for those things we are distant from.

We long for those things we don’t have.

According to Robert Shaw the core longings of our souls are: love, safety, understanding, belonging, purpose, and significance.

As I considered each of the six longings I found myself asking questions and searching for the answers in His word.

Love:
Does God love me?

Psalm 23:6                                                                            "Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

Answer: YES. God’s unfailing love pursues me!

Safety:
Will God keep me safe?

Psalm 18:2

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."

Answer: YES. He’s my shield and a place of safety for me!

Understanding:
Does God get what I’m going through?

Psalm 147:5

"How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!"

Answer: YES. Nobody's understanding comes close to His!

Belonging:

Do I fit in God's Kingdom?

Psalm 100:3                                                    "Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

Answer: YES. He made me and I belong to Him!

Purpose:

Does God have a purpose for me?

                                                                                                      

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Answer: YES. He planned work for me before I was created!                                                

                      

Significance:
Am I significant in God’s eyes?

1 Peter 2:5

"And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God."

Answer: YES. I am being built into the temple of God!

No matter what culture you come from, what ethnic group you belong to, what your age is, or what gender you are, these core longings exist in every human spirit.

Many of us try over and over to get these longings fulfilled through emotional attachments with people. But we continue feeling unfulfilled because our spiritual longings cannot be filled by earthy sources, they can only be fulfilled by God.

There are answers in the Word to meet

the deepest desires of our souls.

Dig into the soil of His word to deepen your knowledge of Him so that He can meet all of the longings of your heart!