In God’s Word in Seasons of Longing

April 18, 2023  - By Taylor Cage

In God's Word in Seasons of Longing - an article from Well-Watered Women

I tried to squelch the hope growing in my heart as I swung into the drugstore. This time I felt different. Against my better judgment, I allowed myself to believe that maybe the result would be different this time too. 

I made the familiar walk to the back right of the store and crouched down to grab a skinny pink box, inwardly chastising myself for how much money I’d wasted buying box after box, only to be let down over and over again. 

When I finally made it home, I found myself paralyzed—wanting to unwrap the test but terrified of the results. Finally, curiosity won out and I felt my hope crumble at the stark white test strip. I sat on my bathroom floor and felt a quiet sob escape from somewhere deep inside my chest. The longing consumed me. All of my hopes and dreams were wrapped up in two elusive pink lines.

I knew Jesus was enough for me, but my heart continued to long for more. And although I longed for a good thing, it began to cast a shadow over my contentment in Christ. When left unchecked, unfulfilled longing can chip away at our satisfaction in Christ, slowly chiseling it down to one single issue. But even the good things we long for can’t compare to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. 

Be Intentional In Your Season of Longing 

In the desperation and thirst of a season of longing, we may be tempted to only flip through our Bibles in search of verses that offer immediate comfort, focusing more on soothing that longing than learning to love God through his Word. While God is gracious and faithful to meet us as we flounder through his Word, he invites us deeper into relationship with him. 

Intentionally studying God’s Word—not just reading bits and pieces—in a season of longing changes your perspective. It turns your eyes from your longing to God’s greater purpose for that season. As God reveals himself through his Word, your confidence in his good plan will grow.

So if you find yourself in a season of longing, keep these three things in mind as you seek to be more intentional about your time in God’s Word.

1. Don't let your longing limit your learning

It's easy to be single-minded during your time in God's Word when you’re in a season of longing. While it's good to bring your longing to the Lord and to search his Word for encouragement, don't let your longing limit what God has to say to you. If the focus of your time in God’s Word is only about your unmet desire, you’re missing out on everything else the Lord wants to teach you in this season. To broaden your focus, follow a Bible reading plan, commit to a Bible study, or choose one book of the Bible to study verse by verse. By taking an intentional approach, you’re trusting God to teach you exactly what he has for you each day rather than simply looking for what you want to read. This shifts your focus away from your longing and back to the One who satisfies. 

2. Don't lose heart

It’s easy to allow the discouragement of unfulfilled longing to keep you from opening God’s Word consistently. Bitterness and heartache can make reaching for your Bible feel nearly impossible. But God hasn't forgotten about you, and he’s not holding out on you. Even on the hardest days, choose to study God’s Word. Decide now that no matter how long this season lasts, you aren’t going to quit. Get an accountability partner, start a new Bible study journal, and decide where you’ll meet with God each day. Above all, ask God for the grace to keep coming to the well of living water even when you feel emotionally exhausted. 

3. Long for God most of all

In seasons of unmet longing, it can be easy to yearn for the answer to your prayer more than God himself. Your wandering heart will convince you that whatever it is you’re longing for offers eternal satisfaction, but that’s just not true. Even the good things we long for—a spouse, a child, physical healing, a new job, a new house, a God-fearing family—don’t ultimately satisfy. Only God satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. Immersing ourselves in God’s Word helps us remember that only he is enough. Whenever you feel your longing for him waning, let it remind you to dive deeper into his Word, where you’ll find the God who satisfies our every desire with himself.

I wish I could say that by studying God’s Word intentionally, my unmet longing simply disappeared, but that wouldn’t be true. In fact, I still find myself praying for the day those two pink lines will appear again without ending in grief. But thankfully, the more I learn about God through his Word, the more my earthly desires are met with his eternal presence.

In God's Word in Seasons of Longing - an article from Well-Watered Women - quote

Meet the Author

Taylor Cage is the Social Media Community Manager at Well-Watered Women. She’s a mom and wife currently living in Oklahoma, where her husband serves as the student pastor at their local church. She’s passionate about Bible study and teaching God’s Word to women of all ages. You can usually find her with a good book and a Diet Coke in hand.

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