174a, “I long for Your salvation, O LORD”

What is the greatest desire of those who call on the name of the Lord? I think this statement sums it up. The object of the writer’s longing is God’s salvation. As this was written prior to Christ, we can see the yearning, the trust in God looking forward to the day when He would provide that salvation. The Lord’s salvation was embodied in Jesus Christ. It was brought about soley by the plan of God, and the work of God in Jesus.

Isaiah writes, “I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me” (63:5a,b).

No one other than God provides salvation, and it is only by the work of the Lord that it was brought about in due time. This section of Isaiah mirrors Revelation 19 in its picture of Jesus. I believe the arm of the Lord here is representative of Christ. He brought about salvation, as well as being the one who brings God’s judgments. The dual ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The writer of the Psalm is looking forward to his salvation. They could only wonder about God’s plan in bringing it. They didn’t know the specifics, but they believed that it would be completed. God in His grace promised it to them, pointed out that He was the focus of their salvation, and revealed to them His plan slowly but clearly in His communications with the prophets. When it was time, God clearly revealed His salvation in Jesus Christ.

Joseph, the chosen earthly father for Jesus, was having difficulty when he first found out Mary was pregnant before their mariage. But the angel of the Lord spoke to Him and reassured him that everything would be good. The angel said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ “

Those before Christ and many during His time on the earth yearned for God’s salvation. They sought after it, and ultimately God fulfilled His promises in Jesus. We look back to that work and trust in God just as they did for our salvation. So the question I posed at the beginning, what is the greatest desire of your heart?

I can’t speak for anyone else of course. I don’t know and cannot see into the hearts of other men. So all I can do is speak about what is in my heart. My greatest desire in life is for God’s salvation. That salvation is in Christ and is Christ. He is the focus of all our hopes and yearnings. There are not enough words or words adequate enough to express the greatness of the yearning in my heart for Him.

I want more of Jesus than I have now in this life. I want to see His beautiful face. I want to see the marks in His hands and feet and weep over them. I want to hear His voice. I want to hear that voice singing over me.

Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

To hear the voice of the one who spoke the universe into existence, the voice that can thunder and sounds like the roar of many waters, the voice that can silence the angry voices of the wicked, the voice that calls to His people, the voice that cried out on the cross will sing over us. And it will not be a song of mourning, it will be Jesus rejoicing over us. The one who loves us, paid our unpayable debt, who poured Himself out, allowed Himself to be abused, insulted, blasphemed, scourged, and nailed to a cross to die one of the worst deaths imaginable. It will be Him who raises His voice over us.

I want to feel His arms around me, I want to kneel at His feet and worship Him forever. I want to serve Him every day for all of my existence. He is the King and Lord over all of Humanity. And I am thankful, that even though there are people who abuse His name even today, and there are people who do not believe in Him, and there are those who fight against His truth and do their best to suppress it and keep people from believing, that when the word “savior” is mentioned even the unbelievers think of Christ. They may not follow Him, but the word “savior” will forever bring Jesus to mind when it is spoken. There is no other person on earth that people think of when they hear that word. Jesus is glorified even among those who do not believe in Him.

I yearn for the salvation of God. I am so glad, and I am filled with joy thinking about it. I know and trust that I will be with Him forever. Those before Jesus looked forward to Him. We look back to what He did for us. And like them, we look forward to the future. If we die we will be with Him, but there will be a generation of people who will see His second coming when His salvation is fulfilled for those who love Him and are looking for His coming. There is a time coming when we will be perfected wholly and completely. The power of Christ will fill us and change our bodies to be like His. The weakness of our flesh, the sin that lurks there will be destroyed. We will be born in strength, filled with the unlimited power of God, and unable to commit sin. What a glorious day that will be, when we are changed to be like Him.

Glory to His blessed name.