Welcome And Series Finale

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Hi, and welcome to our podcast Revelation Within on the Go. I'm Heidi Files Emerson, one of your hosts, and the owner and lead coach of Revelation Within.

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And I'm Christina Motley, your other host, also a Revelation within. I'm Heidi's partner in all things Revelation Within. We're so happy to invite you to join us for this episode of Revelation Within.

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Thank you for joining us today. Welcome, welcome. Well, as you may know, we've been going through a series called Loud Longings, holy God. And this today is our final episode. And I don't want to it's such encouraging content. At least to me it is. It has been so good, hasn't it? Oh I love how God does that, you know, how he brings me exactly what I need, and then I get to share it with everybody.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Yay, that happens a lot with me too. Yeah, I know. We're doing our podcast or we're doing our classes, and I'm like, hi, this is exactly what I need to hear.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Exactly. Over the last several episodes, we've kind of walked slowly through or journeyed together through loneliness, desire, surrender, counterfeit comforts, abiding, and the comfort of God's presence. That's a lot to cover. That's a lot to cover. Yeah, this is our ninth episode. That so that's been the last two months. Wow, isn't that incredible? Oh my goodness.

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So we've talked about the aches that live inside the human heart. Oh, that's a big one. That is so big. We have explored the places that we run when we're thirsty, and we've considered the way that God gently invites us deeper. There's always that invitation from God. And today we're gonna arrive at what may be the most important truth of all. The longing was always about Him.

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Always. Always. So let's pray. Lord, we want to just thank you so much for walking with us through these episodes. We've been talking about longings and your beautiful desire to invite us to draw closer. Thank you for every longing you have revealed. Thank you for every truth that you have shown your light on, and every invitation that you have extended and continue to extend. Today, would you just pull us even closer to you? Would you help us see that beneath all our searching, all our striving, all of our reaching and hoping, there has always been, always been a deeper invitation. Open our hearts to your presence, open our eyes to your beauty. Help us to hear your voice. And Lord, help us to see that this is so much deeper than food and eating and body image is so much deeper and it impacts everything. Lord, draw us closer in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Amen. Thank you, Heidi. That was beautiful.

Longing Is Not A Defect

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Okay, so before we finish this series, let's take a moment to kind of look back a little bit. Um, so we discovered that longing is not a defect. Yes, it's not a defect, it is part of being human. And longing is not evidence that something is wrong with us. Absolutely not. Throw that old lie out the window. Um, longing is evidence that we were created for more than this world can offer. So we've seen that beneath many behaviors are deeper desires, and underneath many struggles are deeper aches. And then under the cravings that feel so strong at times are deeper needs. We've talked a lot about surrender, we've talked a lot about abiding, we've talked about counterfeit comforts, those things that we go to that are not the Lord, that are fake, basically. We've talked about true comfort too, the comfort that comes only from God. And now we're ready to ask: what if all these longings were ultimately pointing somewhere? Or more accurately, what if they were pointing to someone?

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Christina, what you just said reminds me so much of Psalm 73, where the psalmist says, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire beside you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Ah, yes, exactly. Our longings are pointing to someone. One of the great themes of scripture, which I just I mean, God is just such a genius, He's a genius and He's so loving, and it's all right there in His Word. Yeah. So one of these great themes is that human beings were created by God for relationship with God. Oh, my heart, be still from the very beginning. We see God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. There was intimacy, right? There was connection, there was communion, fellowship, nearness, and that was always God's design. Not just obedience, not just correct beliefs, not just religious activity, but relationship. We've got to get this. We've got to get this. It will change everything in our lives if we do. I really believe that. The story of scripture is in so many ways the story of God's relentless pursuit of relationship with his people. You know, I think of that song, Reckless Love. I'm thinking of a lot of songs today. You are.

Why Good Gifts Disappoint

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Good words. Um, yeah. So have you ever noticed that even good things eventually disappoint? Have you ever noticed that? It's like, you know, something good happens, or you get something good, or something is your favorite, or or whatever. And it's like, yay! But eventually it kind of falls flat. I mean, it just the excitement goes away. And it's not because it's it's bad, it's because those things are not ultimate. You know, I mean, achievements are wonderful. Yay, I got this done. I did it. Here's my certificate, and whatever it is. But eventually you're like, okay, I want to feel that again. I want another certificate. I want to do another achievement. Um, and possessions can be enjoyable. Oh, this is my favorite. I've got, well, you know, I've had this for a while. Maybe I need to get something else like it to have feel that feeling again. Heidi, Heidi, go, Heidi, go.

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After all my years as a child growing up wanting horses so badly. Yes, when I was 50 or so, I got a horse, and then one wasn't enough. I had to get a second one, and then two wasn't one for the whole family. Each horse is four horses later, and I was like, I think I'm done. Yeah, four horses was not yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Well, I was just thinking of like skirts, but horses, that's a whole different commitment. I have this crazy thing about skirts. I just, I, as you know, Heidi, I just love long skirts, long flowy skirts. But you know what? Eventually, the excitement about that beautiful, summery, flowy skirt. I mean, I still love it, but now I want another one because the excitement fades, right? It just does. But relationships are gifts. No human being can completely satisfy the deepest needs of the soul. It's not even possible. Even ministry, even success, even dreams fulfilled. And we love all those things. We love them. It's great. Of course. It's great. We love those joys in life, but there's always a place inside of us that remains hungry. Why? Because we were created for God. As beautiful as God's gifts are, they were never meant, they were never meant to replace the giver.

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Hmm. Listen to these powerful words again. Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73, 25 to 26. Notice what the psalmist discovers. Not that earthly things are worthless. No, no, no, no, no. But that God is simply better, way better. He becomes his portion, his treasure, his source, his satisfaction. And that is where holy longing ultimately leads. And that's where we want it to lead. We want to follow those longings, not to the freezer or to the pantry or to the scrolling or to the shopping. We want to follow that long. The only place it can be satisfied is to him.

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Yeah, that's I needed to hear that today, too.

Jesus Offers Himself As The Gift

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Um, you know, throughout the gospels, Jesus repeatedly directs people beyond what is on the surface, beyond what people seem to need, you know, on the surface. People came seeking healing, and that is super important. And Jesus offered healing, but in the healing, in the midst of the healing, he offered himself. People came seeking bread, you know, they were hungry, and Jesus said, I am the bread of life, John 6 35. People came seeking water. Again, these are all important, valid needs, but in the midst of it, Jesus said, Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst. And that's from John 4 14. People came seeking direction, and Jesus said, I am the way, John 14, 6. How about truth? People came seeking truth, and Jesus said, I am the truth, John 14, 6. And people came seeking life, and Jesus said, I am the life. Again from John 14, 6. Again and again, Jesus points beyond the gift to himself, to his presence, because he himself is the ultimate gift. There's nothing better. There's nothing better.

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So, something that's really common in church circles, many of us think of eternal life primarily as something that begins after death. But listen to how Jesus defines it. This is fascinating. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is John 17, and that's where this comes from. This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. That's verse 3 of chapter 17 of John. Notice that eternal life is not merely living forever. I mean, yeah, that's part of it, but it's knowing God, it's knowing him personally, intimately, it's relationship, it's communion, it's fellowship, it's nearness. The deepest longing of the human heart is ultimately fulfilled in knowing him.

When You Cannot Feel God Near

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And and now I just want to speak to the heart that's going, oh, this is just all theory. You know, I know people high in the sky. Yeah, I know people who have been in the church for bazillion training, 900 million years, they've led Bible studies, they've studied the word inductively, and they memorized and they've done all the things, and they're like, but God doesn't speak to me like that. I I don't recognize his presence like that. He I know he's there with my head, but I don't ever feel him, his presence. And I just, you know, I I hear you. I think Christina does too. We see you, we feel you. Absolutely. The truth is, whether I feel him or not, he is there, he is the provider of what my soul needs. What I want to do is rather than letting my feelings define what is fact, what I will believe is true, I want to do it the other way around. I want to renew my mind with what God says is true and what he says is true. I am with you, I will provide for you, I am your way, I am your life, I am your living water. He says all of those things. I want to tell myself those truths again and again and again until they become so engrafted in me that in a moment I'm going to, that's my default. I'm going to believe that because I've told it to myself so many times. And it's true. And then I will perhaps my feelings will be informed by the truth, and I will begin to experience that more and more.

Holy Nearness And The Come Invitation

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Okay, let's talk a little bit about holy nearness. What is what does that mean? Holy nearness. We mean the experience of becoming aware of God's presence. You don't have to earn it, so don't worry about that. You certainly don't have to create it. That's God's job. We don't have to manufacture it at all, simply becoming aware of what is already true. Just like what you were just saying, Heidi, God is near. He is, whether we feel it or not. We were talking about this in our class yesterday. How sometimes when we're really struggling with deep emotions, it's hard to feel God with you. That's okay because we have the word of God. Psalm 145.18 says the Lord is near to all who call upon him, not just sometimes, but all the time and to all. It's for everyone. Um, and then in Acts 17, 28, in him we live and move and exist. God is not distant, he's not, he's not hiding, he's certainly not playing hard to get. You know, often the challenge is not his absence, the challenge is often our distraction.

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Ooh, think on that for a minute. Ooh, that's kind of right.

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Yes, in a good way. He's calling us closer in.

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One of the most beautiful invitations in scripture comes from Revelation. At the very end of the Bible, we read, the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let the one who hears say come. And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. That's Revelation 22, 17. And that invitation, listener, is still being extended to you. Yes. Come, come, not perform, not prove, not strive. Come. The thirsty are invited, the longing are invited, the weary are invited, the broken are invited, the hungry are invited. That invitation remains open.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Yes, it does. Beautiful. I love it.

The Longing Beneath The Longing

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Okay, let's return to a question we've touched on throughout this series. What is the longing beneath the longing? So perhaps you long for comfort, but beneath that, there's a longing for safety in whatever situation you're in. Beneath safety is a longing for security. Beneath security is a longing for someone trustworthy. Perhaps you long for approval, but beneath that is a longing to be known. And beneath that is a longing to be loved. Perhaps you long for peace. Beneath that is a longing to rest. And beneath that is a longing to trust. Again and again, if we keep following the thread, we find ourselves arriving at the same place. We find ourselves arriving at God. Not because every longing is God, but because every legitimate longing ultimately finds its fulfillment in Him.

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Let's listen to the Apostle Paul's words. I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. That's Philippians 3:8. What had changed in Paul's life? Not just his doctrine. He was a faithful Jewish rabbi, but wow, he had an experience of the living present Jesus, and he was changed. So it wasn't just doctrine that changed, and it wasn't just information that he now had that he didn't before. And it wasn't just religion, it was knowing Jesus. It was relationship, nearness, communion, and then that became his greatest treasure. Yeah. Wow.

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What a story.

A Simple Daily Practice

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Okay, so as we finish up, let us offer a simple practice. Several times a day, pause and ask, Lord, where are you right now? Not because he's absent. He's not absent at all, but because we often forget. Pause, take a breath, notice, listen, become aware. You might say, thank you, Lord, that you are here. Thank you, Lord, that I am not alone. Thank you that you see me, Lord. Thank you that you love me. Thank you that you are enough. This simple practice can gradually transform the way we experience everyday life.

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What if your longing is not your enemy? We've been saying that the past eight sessions. What if it never was your enemy? Right. What if your longing, that very longing that often leads you to stray? What if that longing is actually an invitation? An invitation to seek, an invitation to listen, an invitation to surrender, an invitation to receive, an invitation to draw near. The next time you feel restless, hungry, all of those things we've talked about, lonely, discouraged, disappointed, or maybe discontent, unsatisfied, consider just asking the Lord, Lord, what invitation might be hidden here? How are you calling me closer to you? You may discover that the longing itself becomes a doorway into deeper intimacy with the God of the universe.

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Yes. Beautiful.

Reflection Questions And Closing Prayer

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So we've got a few questions here that might help you and help us to reflect. Bring these to the Lord, think about it a little bit. Where have I been looking for ultimate satisfaction apart from God? What longing seems most present in my life right now? What might that longing reveal about my deeper desires? How have I experienced God's nearness recently? And what would it look like to respond to longing as an invitation rather than a problem? We would love to encourage you to take these questions into prayer, maybe even journal about them. Talk with God honestly. Let him meet you right there.

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We want to leave you with these beautiful words from James, and he simply says in James chapter 4, verse 8, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

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What a promise. Not because God is withholding himself, but because he delights in relationship. He delights in communion, in being known, and in drawing his children close. I'll go ahead and close us in prayer. Lord Jesus, thank you for creating us with hearts that long. Thank you that you do not despise our need, not at all. Thank you that you meet us in our thirst. Thank you for every way that you have pursued us, comforted us, guided us, and loved us. Lord Jesus, teach us to recognize your presence and teach us to respond to longing with faith. Teach us to seek you above every substitute. And when our hearts grow restless, Lord, will you remind us that rest is ultimately found in you? May we become people who live aware of your nearness, people who trust your goodness, delight in your presence, and discover again and again that you are the fulfillment of every holy longing. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Amen.

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As you go forward, I hope you'll remember that your longings are not proof that something is wrong with you.

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They may simply be reminders of what you were created for. And may every longing become an invitation to draw closer to the one who loves you, knows you, comforts you, and calls you his own. So until next time, may you walk in the peace, comfort, and holy nearness of God. Yes. Thanks for being with us. Yeah, we're so glad you've been here, and we would love to invite you to join us for our next episode of Revelation within.