Longing. . .

How I long to touch Your face

Alight with glory, full of grace

Trembling as You fill my soul

Forever changed and finally whole

I long to look into Your eyes

Ablaze with all-consuming fire

Holy fire burning through

My spirit that was made by You

I long to worship at Your feet

And experience joy made complete

My heart will find new wings to soar

With feelings I’ve never felt before

In Your holy presence I long to be

In the place that You’ve prepared for me

Eternal home, eternal life

Never another tear to cry

For Your precious hand will wipe away

Every tear, from every face

And all will be revealed by You

A fallen world will be made new

Angels, Saints, and all creation

With eternal praise and adoration

Will find every longing satisfied

In Your presence, 

Precious Lamb of God

© 2010 Julie Jablonski

So often, this poem has been my prayer and the very cry of my heart, and even more so as of late.

There's a sadness that enters in sometimes, slow but steady, and it tends to linger long —

much too long.

There is so much evil in this world. So much wrong with this world. There are so many things that just shouldn't happen and yet, they do.

The seemingly endless bad news can leave us stunned and bewildered, stumbling in the darkness, just trying to steady our way.

And if it were up to each of us, and our own strength, who could stand?

But thankfully, 

there is Strength beyond this world.

Strength that overcame sin, and death, and darkness by being executed on a horrible wooden cross.

Mercifully, Jesus took every sin upon Himself so that death would not have the final say and our guilty stains could be washed away.

He took EVERY sin. The sins of every member of ISIS and every evil regime that has ever sought power on this planet. The sins of hatred, murder, child abuse, adultery, gossip, slander, prayerlessness, deception, indifference...

This endless list that everyone of us adds to every day.

Thank God, He did not come to condemn us. 

He came to be The Way.

The better Way. 

The narrow Way.

The only Way.

And for every person who has, and who will, repent and give their whole heart to Him, He will wash clean, cover with His righteousness, and welcome into His Kingdom.

He is the Hope that we have, the beauty we long for, the holiness we were made for —

And it will be ours someday, when He says it's time.

Not by our goodness. Not by our strength. 

But by His grace —  His most amazing grace!

Though until that perfect day...

this longing will remain.