The Longing in Me Study Guide: How Everything You Crave Leads to the Heart of God

A baby comes into the world with primal longings to be held, to be fed, to sleep, to be changed. Babies don’t worry if it’s a good idea to cry out in the middle of the night or wonder if now is a good time for their moms to respond. They simply roar out their need until they are heard.


 


Our longings continue into our adult lives. We long to be chosen. We long to have control. We long for happiness. We long to be loved. We long to know God cares for us and that we matter. But when we don’t “roar out” our needs until they are met, what do we do? And when our longings are met by anything other than God, why is there an even greater ache that remains?


 


In The Longing in Me, Sheila Walsh explains how each of us has a sacred ache within us—a longing for the very heart of God. She draws on the biblical example of David, the greatest king Israel ever had, who was known as “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet at times even David had frustrations, doubts, and worries about his situation. “O Lord, how long will you forget me?” he wrote. “Forever? How long will you look the other way?” (Psalm 13:1 nlt).


 


David’s life paints a portrait of the longings we all share but also how we can channel those longings in a way that brings us closer to God. His life also shows us that no matter how great our longing is for God, it will never compare to the depth of his great longing for us!


 


The Longing in Me will help you find the one true source who can meet your deepest longings and give you real tools to help you heal from the past and find joy today.