Grafted & Growing
“Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”
-St Augustine of Hippo, Confessions
The passages for today reminded me of this prayer from St. Augustine. I love it because it describes the truth of life as a human being: God has made us for Himself. In every person there is a restlessness that only God can satisfy. I think of it as a magnetic pull, drawing us toward eternity. We all long for beauty, peace, meaning, for something bigger, for things to be made right. That longing will only be completely fulfilled in the Eschaton.
The passages for today are Psalm 137; Lamentations 2:13–22; and 1 John 5:1–5, 13–21. You can look them up if you like, but here is a brief summary.
Psalm 137 is a psalm of lament written during Israel’s exile. It expresses a deep longing for Zion—for the presence of the Lord (“…our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you”). It recalls the horrors of the day Jerusalem fell and voices a longing for the day when God will bring justice on those who tore it down. It is a song of grief and hope, yearning for eternity, when God will set all things right.
Lamentations 2:13–22 is another exilic lament, full of sorrow and longing. It describes the anguish of being far from God and pleads with Him to act. The poet begs for mercy, asking God to relent in His judgment against “Daughter Jerusalem” and “Virgin Daughter Zion.” These are familial cries—children longing for their Father’s compassion.
1 John 5:1–5, 13–21 paints a very different picture. Whereas the laments describe not only political displacement but also covenantal estrangement—children under the Father’s discipline, longing for restoration—John speaks of the hope of those who are born of God. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” Where Lamentations describes the children of God as “overthrown without pity,” John declares that God’s children “overcome the world.” The idolatry and infidelity that led to exile are set in contrast to the faithful obedience of those who belong to Christ.
John calls us to live as children who belong not to the world, not to idols, but to the true God revealed in Christ. Even now, in Him, we are no longer orphans in exile but beloved children who hear the Father’s voice and rest in His care.
The longing for Zion is answered not in a place but in a Person—Jesus, the true temple who gathers God’s children. One day He will gather all things to Himself and make all things new. On that day our restless hearts will be fully at peace.