Desire

"Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city." (God of this city-Chris Tomlin)

My deepest longing is to join you where you are, to behold you and never part. So take me to the cross again remind me where I should have been, where I belong now. Ive been crucified and I am alive, because Christ died. Ive been crucified and I am alive, because Christ lived. Christ chose the road of pain for us, he walked the hill for our shame, how can we forget the price he payed for us. Christ took our punishment alone, ALL ALONE. In the shadow of the cross we will live for all your days.
Our addictions are our own worst enemies. They enslave us with chains that are of our own making and yet that, paradoxically, are virtually beyond our control. Addiction also makes idolaters of us all, because it forces us to worship these objects of attachment, thereby preventing us from truly, freely loving God and one another (Addiction and Grace).

All men seek happiness this is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end... This is the motive of every action of every man. But example teaches us little. No resemblance is ever so perfect that there is not some slight difference, and hence we expect that our hope will not be deceived on this occasion as before. And thus, while the present never satisfies us, experience dupes us and from misfortune to misfortune leads us to death. (Pensees).
It can't be done! No matter how hard we try, no matter how clever our plan, we cannot arrange for the life we desire. God promises every man futility and failure. We spend most of our waking hours attempting to end-run the curse. We will fight this truth with all we got. Sure, other people suffer defeat. Other people face loneliness. Will life ever be what I so deeply want it to be, in a way that cannot be lost? Probably not is my answer, probably not. We must learn to accept this even though its hard. We must have life; we cannot arrange for it.
" You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, It is hopeless. You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." (Isaiah 57:10).

In this world you will have trouble. Jesus, the master of understatement, captures in one sentence the story of our lives He adds, "BUT TAKE HEART! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Why aren't we more encouraged??? I think its because we are still committed to arranging for life now. We use the word yet, like for instance in the passage above it sounds AMAZING right? But our response is NOT YET God NOT YET! And that yet makes all the difference in the world because desire cannot live without hope. But hope in what? For what?
"Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13). Desire cannot live without hope. Yet we can only hope for what we desire. There simply must be something more, something out there on the road ahead of us, that offers the life we prize. To sustain the life of the heart, the life of deep desire, we desperately need to possess a clearer picture of the life that lies before us.

In closing, I leave with a verse from the book of Philippians. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14)