I’ve been spending an extended time in Psalm 119 as I’m
reading Charles Spurgeon’s Daily Treasury from the Psalms. It can be
tempting to speed through the 176 verses to check off one more psalm, but there
are things worth stopping to ponder along the way. Consider these few verses:
40- Behold, I long for Your
precepts; in Your righteousness give me life!
81-82- My soul longs for Your
salvation; I hope in Your word. My eyes long for Your promise; I
ask, “When will You comfort me?”
123- My eyes long for Your
salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise.
131- I open
my mouth and pant, because I long for Your commandments.
174- I long for Your
salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.
The original Hebrew uses a few different words that are
translated as “long for” in the ESV. Some other translations use “faint” or
“fail” in verses 81-82. In any case, the idea is a strong desire and need. I
suspect most of us don’t long for God’s commandments and precepts like this.
However, if we include all of the promises and truths of
Scripture, I would hope that every Christian desires and relies on them. The
Bible is our source of hope for every aspect of salvation, sanctification, and
the glory that is to come, because in it we see how God works all things
together for the fulfillment of His promises. Spurgeon notes:
“This is an intense longing that is
not satisfied to express itself with the lips but speaks with the eyes. Eyes
can speak eloquently; they sometimes say more than tongues… Especially are our
eyes eloquent when they begin to fail with weariness and woe… and so heaven
shall be taken by storm with the artillery of tears.”
While we endure through this life, there are many times for
tears—conflict between factions, relational challenges, struggles with sin,
unmet needs, illness, weakness, death. We may weep with the desire to see God
bring swift resolution.
The older I get, the more I long for the final consummation
of God’s plan of redemption. As we’ve been reminded recently, no one knows the
day or hour of Christ’s return, but we look forward to the end of the craziness
of this life and the beginning of a perfect eternity. For many people that Day
will come unexpectedly and will be filled with great fear and anguish. But for
many others around the globe it will bring great rejoicing, for our longings will
finally be fulfilled when we see Christ.
“But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await
new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Pet. 3:13 Amp).
© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
