Just a few days ago, I was listening to a song from the 1990s titled “The River of Dreams”. It was written and sung by American composer Billy Joel. Billy Joel’s song is a reflection of the heart cry of every human being. Listen to these lyrics:
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
From the mountains of faith
To the river so deep
I must be lookin’ for something
Something sacred I lost
But the river is wide
And it’s too hard to cross
I’ve been searching for something
Taken out of my soul
Something I’d never lose
Something somebody stole
I don’t know why I go walking at night
But now I’m tired and I don’t want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn’t take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is I’ve been looking for
Billy Joel’s song expresses a desire that many people have testified to. Many people go through life feeling as though something in their life is missing — that something that should be there is gone. Like Joel, these people go through life searching for what is missing in their life. Have you ever felt this way — as though there is something missing in your life? Have you ever felt as though there were a hole in your soul? The French philosopher Blaise Pascal said that “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
The thing that Billy Joel said he was missing in his life, and the thing that many people feel as though they are missing in their lives is a relationship with God. Long ago, in the Garden of Eden, this relationship with God was broken because of the sin of Adam and Eve, the first humans. Adam and Eve had the privilege and blessing of a direct, wonderful, peaceful relationship with God. Everything they ever needed or wanted was supplied, and they lived a life of perfect bliss. However, when they were tempted by Satan, they decided to disobey God, and because of their disobedience, their relationship with God was severed.
Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, all of us, their descendants, are born into this world with a figurative hole in our hearts. That hole is representative of the relationship that we should have with God. However, because all of us are born sinners, we are born in a state of enmity with God. There is a dividing wall between us and God because God is holy and we are sinful. Thus, we go throughout our lives searching for the unity with God that we so desire.
Billy Joel writes in his song, “I’m tired and I don’t want to walk anymore. I hope it doesn’t take the rest of my life until I find what it is I’ve been looking for.” My friend, you don’t have to keep on searching for what you have lost. You don’t have to spend the rest of your life searching for a real relationship with God. You can have one today.
The Gospel Light Minute X 