What is Your Deepest Longing? - A Free Gift for You

By Joey O'Connor

For many years, The Grove has helped artists explore their deepest longings for more of God, deeper relationships, and creating great art. 

The Longing scratches all these itches and offers hope for your deepest longings.

At its core, The Longing is all about the riches of God's generous love found in the gift of Christ. You simply won't find a better #GivingTuesday theme than the generosity of God's love.

Perhaps you already have a copy of my book The Longing? Maybe you've read its important message of what it means to embrace the deepest Truth of who you are?

If you've read The Longing, I want to encourage you to download your free copy now and send it to a friend. If you haven't read it, please download one for yourself. 

Remembering and embracing God's deep love for you just may be the most important thing you do today. It's not about accomplishing anything, but receiving the gift of what it means to be a beloved son or daughter of God.

Either way, receive the free gift of God's love for you and this simple gift from us at The Grove. I also want to offer you this brief excerpt from Chapter 2...be encouraged.

The greatest gift you could ever receive is being named by your Father in heaven.

You are named "beloved" by God the Father...

Named by The Father

Toward the end of Jesus’ three-year ministry, immediately before he lets his disciples in on the secret that he is going to suffer and be handed over to death, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John on a hike to the top of a mountain, where he is transfigured in dazzling white before them. If there was ever a mountaintop experience, this was it. Elijah and Moses show up to talk with Jesus; what they talk about is known only to eternity.

While Jesus huddles with Elijah and Moses, Peter, James, and John are hunkered down in absolute terror. When the light show around Jesus ends, a lightbulb clicks on in Peter’s brain. What if, Peter suggests to Jesus in a stroke of Peter-Esque brilliance, they all set up camp instead of heading down the mountain where the mere mortals dwell? Jesus, Moses, and Elijah each could get their own tent, and Peter, James, and John could hang with the spiritual heavyweights. In the three Gospel accounts of this story, the weather changes, the whole group is enveloped in a cloud, and God interrupts Peter with a heavenly “ahem.” God has a different agenda in mind, namely the redemption of the world. God has words for Jesus. And for Peter.

While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt. 17:5).

What do Jesus and the disciples hear from the clouds? The voice of God. And what kinds of words come from that voice? Words of relationship and belonging. Closeness and connection. Intimacy and security. Affection and affirmation. Acceptance and assurance. Confidence and strength. Truth and tender love. Words that tell us to listen.

We see God the Father telling Jesus and everyone near him exactly who he is.

This is my Son, whom I love, and in whom I take great pleasure.

Jesus has been named by his Father, and what Jesus is named makes all the difference in the world in who he understands himself to be and what God has called him to do. At his baptism before the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is affirmed for who he is as God’s Son. At his transfiguration at the end of his ministry, Jesus receives the confirmation of the Father’s great pleasure in him. Affirmation and confirmation are present at two of the most critical moments in Jesus’ life.

Isn’t this what you longed for as a child and perhaps are still longing for as an adult? When was the last time someone affirmed you for who you are and confirmed their great pleasure in you? Every child has key moments when they need to hear the love, affirmation, and confirmation of who they are. Without that name, without that voice, we are left to wonder who we are and what we will become. Names mean something. Who doesn’t want to be named something good and positive?

Click here to download The Longing right now.

Question: Describe a time when someone named you something positive or gave you an encouraging word? How did your heart respond to such positive affirmation?

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