Desire means to have a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. Desire is a rewarding place because it’s where we expect our dreams to come alive. We anticipate our ideas, thoughts, and feelings to be acknowledged by God. At this point, we tell ourselves, “I know I’m going to get this. I want this and I know it’s coming.”
Think of it as if a child is coming into the world. A guy and girl will connect, talk, build a relationship, and then have the desire for a child, leading to love. Before having a child, they both have the desire for one. While in the relationship of being a couple, they sit and wait, but are knowingly expecting. This process of expecting change is profoundly challenging. When the baby is finally born from love, the couple is filled with joy and delight. They realized they had achieved a goal and reached a milestone. But first, think about the nine-month journey. Remember the labor pains, the struggles, the ups and downs. They probably felt like giving up, but their desire kept them going.
Even through tough times, we still desire to come out on top. Imagine how it will be when we finally tell God our thoughts, ideas, and feelings during hard times. We must say, “God, I want you right now. I need you right now and I can’t do this without you.” Even if it’s an item or path you are requesting, “I really want this. I know it’s hard, but this will change a lot for me and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Lord, I want this, I need this.” Sometimes, we face situations we don’t understand, and our only solution is to say, “I need you, God, right now.” Even though God might not show up immediately, because of our connection, the talks, and the relationship that was created, we will keep calling on Him more than usual because we desire for Him to help us in our lives.
Bible Reference: Psalms 42:1-5
Psalms 42:1-5 reflects a deep spiritual longing and a sense of desire to God. The writer displays their current sorrow with past experiences of joy, praise, and worship. Despite the feelings of despair, the songwriter encourages themselves to place hope in God while continuing to praise Him.
Psalms 42: 1-5
1 As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,
So my [a]soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.
2 My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul;
How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song], With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival.5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him, for the help of His presence.
The song is a powerful example of how we should desire God. We don’t need to hoop and holler for God to know we need Him. It’s the vulnerability in our hearts that He is looking for. When we crave God, it shows we are letting go of the things we thought we had control of. In doing so, we are allowing God to move in and take over without giving in to doubt. The passage captures my exact description to desire Him, by seeking God in times of distress and clinging to faith even when the soul is tired. Once we realize that we are desiring God through trust, we end up falling in love.