A Song for Unfulfilled Longings

Be Thou My Vision

We are getting settled and the boxes are slowly being unpacked. This post has been bubbling since the day we moved into our new house, or I would probably not be writing at all yet. But the Lord knows the timing, and He usually has a reason for the promptings.

In my daily reading last week, I came across the account of Hannah again. Her story is so powerful and comforting for those who know the pain of an unfulfilled longing. Hannah’s sorrow is splashed across the first two chapters of 1 Samuel. What follows those chapters is how God answered her prayer bigger than she could have known to ask.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, Hannah was married to a man who had two wives. The Bible never condones this, but in these times, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” It sounds a lot like today, but that is a post for another day.

Hannah had no children, but her husband’s other wife had many and found great joy in goading Hannah about this. This so distressed Hannah that she would go through times where she would not even eat, she was so sad. Can you relate?

As she brought her request to God in prayer at the temple, her plea was so desperate that she was oblivious to everything around her. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She knew that God could hear her heart. The prophet of God noticed this and accused her of drunkenness, but she did not respond defensively. She only relayed the deepest longing of her heart; she wanted a child so that she could give him back to God.

The prophet of God assured her that, yes, God would give her the desire of her heart. She believed him and went home rejoicing that day, before the answer even became apparent. She had a son she named Samuel, and she trained him diligently to love and obey God. Once he was weaned, she brought him back to the temple to help the prophet who had once accused her of sinful behavior. Her commitment to give Samuel back to God literally changed the course of the nation of Israel.

What struck me most as I read through that account this time is how the unfulfilled longing brought Hannah’s heart in alignment with God’s heart. Had God given Hannah children right away, would she have been willing to give Samuel back to Him? Would she have had opportunity to bring glory to God as she did after such an amazing answer to her prayer? Would she have known God’s personal care and compassion for her, especially in a time when women were not given much respect?

In contrast, Eli was the man of God meant to teach the people of God’s ways. However, his sons were so wicked that people detested bringing offerings to God. The Bible says that Eli would not restrain them. Eli had no tears recorded for this tragedy. He had no longings that he brought to God in distress. Eli had no grief great enough to bring him to seek God’s direction. Tragically, God’s judgment would result in the death of Eli’s sons and the end of his line to serve the Lord in His temple.

What unfulfilled longings have brought you to the Lord with great grief? He wastes none of your tears and misses none of your requests. But He is the Master of using our greatest longings to align our hearts with His. He wants to be our Vision because ultimately, only He can truly satisfy the longing of our hearts.

When we came back from the mission field eight years ago, the deepest longing of my heart was to go back to a foreign field to serve Him. I wept and fasted and hoped, though He showed me from His Word that His will for us was to strengthen and encourage others who would go, while also seeing the place He put us as a mission field. Through my grief, I saw His grief over the lost, the hurting, the broken, the ones He so longed to heal if only they would come to Him. Because of my unfulfilled longings, I saw His: He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Strangely enough, I did not see His vision until He withheld mine and made me look to His face. I am so glad He did. His ways are just so much higher.

I do apologize if this is more rambly than usual. My editing skills are lacking in my hurry today. I am praying that the Lord can use it for His purpose and glory however, as He uses your unfulfilled longings to align your heart with His. Blessings and love to you all!

I wept again today

For the disappointments,

The waiting, the strain.

As I lifted my face

To the only One who knows

The deepest roots of heartache,

He reminded me again.

One day there will be no more pain

No more sorrows, no more shame.

In His time, this world will fade away.

All will flee between Him and me,

All I will see, will be His face.