Carol Wood
"My soul languishes for your salvation; I hope in your word."
As I pondered this Psalm, I wondered about the meaning of the word languish. What exactly does it mean in this context? The first definition I came across came as a bit of a surprise - "pine for." Interesting, no? "Pine for" seems to connote romantic love or longing, and seems so wonderfully, southern! Other definitions furthered my understanding - "grow weaker, suffer, rot, decay." Thus, the Psalmist reminds us that one's soul desires, wants God's salvation, and also suffers and grows weaker without it.
A better understanding actually came from the antonym or the opposite of "languish," which is "flourish." With God's love and salvation, we may flourish and grow, and find hope and cause for living our best lives, for being our best selves.
It is in God's word and God's love that we may blossom and grow and thrive and find cause for hope and optimism, even in the face of a harsh and often unloving world. As we "pine for" God's word and love, we will find the hope we need to steady on in a spirit of passion and mission.
Prayer: May our lives hunger for, need, "pine for" God's word and love, so that we may flourish in thanksgiving and love for our God, our neighbors, and our world. Amen.
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