“You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” - Augustine of Hippo
We were made to be fascinated. It’s one of the longings of the human heart that cannot be repented of or otherwise removed, because it was placed there by God Himself.
We long to be filled with wonder and awe, and are thrilled with deep, almost spiritual delight, when we are afforded opportunities to truly marvel at captivating persons and events. The entertainment industry, being aware of this truth, has exploited this innate desire through various means. The name of one successful media franchise highlights the industry’s consciousness of human nature - ‘Marvel’.
Bible teacher, Stuart Greaves, has opined that one of the tragedies of the Covid-19 pandemic, is that it created the context for the exposure of a cavernous boredom within us that we found we could not satiate (remember binge watching that series till 3AM and still feeling bored, and dull shortly after?).
Stuart went on to make this profound statement, “Boredom is deadly”.
The crisis of longing
The restlessness within the human heart drives us to seek satisfaction wherever and how ever we can. We try various things to try to scratch the itch within our hearts that we seem to never quite be rid of. We pursue experiences and people that captivate our attentions and affections, hoping that our gaping appetites will be quenched. Yet we find ourselves, hungrier still.
The inner longing for satisfaction – sung of by Queen in previous generations, was placed there by the Lord as a compass to Himself.
C.S. Lewis, explaining this crisis of longing stated,
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
It’s true.
We were made for Jesus.
The Author of all delight, and the most fascinating being in the universe is God! Our souls find fulfilment in Him, and Him alone. All else are cheap substitutes and counterfeits, which after the sugary high they provide, leave us lower and emptier than before.
The duty of delight
We were made to delight ourselves in Him. There is no other way. Ours is the dangerous duty of delight. Just as plants were made to receive nourishment from the sun, and posture themselves to receive as much as they are able within themselves in order to operate as they were designed; so too were we made to receive our sustenance and joy from the Son, and must position ourselves rightly to receive it.
No wonder David stated that his chief desire above all things, was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and gaze upon His beauty (Psalm chapter 27, verse 4). We were made to be fascinated by God! It’s in our design; we run on delight- pleasure. The infinite longing inside all human beings, was made to be satisfied by the infinitely pleasurable God who placed it there.
Therefore, of supreme import to human existence, is learning to delight ourselves in the Lord.
All we have to do, like plants in relation to the sun, is position ourselves to behold (look at) Him. This means I have to prioritize pursuing His presence, setting aside time to binge watch Jesus. Sitting before Him in the Word, studying His beauty and learning His ways, open bible, open journal, open heart; I drink, and I am satisfied.
The Lord is as close as turned attention.
“The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light”
Psalm chapter 36, verse 7b-9
Francesca Tavares (West Indies) is a daughter, sister, friend, avid reader, attorney-at-law, and porridge connoisseur. She enjoys Jesus and fulfilling His purposes for her life on Earth.
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