'At night my soul longs for You,

Indeed my spirit within me seeks You diligently.'

Isaiah 26.9

I'm struck by the way longing and diligence are one. So often when I think of longing I imagine a feeling of desperation, often expressed through short outbursts. When I think of diligence I think of committment and effort. The two stand at opposite ends of my mind and yet for Isaiah, the two went together perfectly. I guess if the longing is genuine, then the level of commitment is increased and so the 'longer' becomes more diligent in their search. The depth of my longing for God can therefore be shown by my diligence in seeking him. That shames me! It's easy to say I want God and to believe it's true, but only my actions will truly show the level of my committment. A committed, longing heart seeks diligently. Carefully, precisely, leaving nothing to chance, searching out every truth, acknowledging every detail. A heart that loves God desperately must seek him with a desperate diligence. That's when he is truly found!