Longing for Freedom

What do you long for?

I wonder this as I watch people walk down the street, drive in their cars, eat ice cream –what is their longing deep inside? For what do they hope? Desire? Wish?

I’ve come to learn most longing and wishing has to do with freedom.

We long for more money because then we will not be slaves to work.

We wish for vacations because then we can escape the mundane.

It seems every area of longing is in response to our need to feel free.

I have never heard anyone wish or admit they long for more rules or laws. That is until I met David one spring day a long time ago.

This David? You know him too. He was the man after God’s own heart.

Check out his longing in Psalm 119:20.

“My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.”

Is it possible for us to be consumed with longing for the Lord’s law at all times? Totally intoxicated with his statues? Completely abandoned to his word and will for our lives? I want this.

I want this to be our longing.

Strange thing about this David. He wished for more of God’s law upon his heart and just a few verses later in Psalm 119:45 he says, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”

Freedom. David longed to be told how to live because like most wishes it brought him the freedom he deeply desired. Except this freedom is the real deal.

Money runs out; our time here will end; vacations come and go, all of our earthly wishes will never be enough to satisfy our desire for true freedom.

Only following the lead of Christ does that. It is for freedom’s sake that Christ has set us free.

If that sounds like a bit of a mind bender think it through.

We have been set free to live free! Never again do we have to be harnessed to the grips of sin. Free to walk and long for His laws at all times.

While praying this last spring I saw a few of those white weeds that kids ‘wish’ with. You pick the little white puff of a thing up and blow, watching your wish run with the wind.

I recently read in my journal an entry about those ‘wishers’ (as I like to call them). My desire for that journaled day was to “upon every wisher wish for more of Christ and His precepts.”

Freedom to chase more freedom.

Living life wide open and carefree before the throne of grace.

David.

I believe he was a man after God’s own heart because his longing was rooted in chasing after the heart of God. He was free to pursue Freedom.

And wouldn’t you say Freedom set him free?

Ladies, let Freedom ring.

Kristen writes daily at {dancing} in the margins and also at Exemplify Online. She welcomes you to stop by!