I don’t use the word ‘yearning’ much but when I do, it always creates in me a desire to reach for something. I yearn for God and his purposes on the earth as they are in heaven. I yearn for every man, woman and child to know the wonderful God in Jesus that I have been so privileged to know for a huge chunk of my life.

I am eternally grateful to a family friend who invited me to an Inter Varsity Youth Camp in Dolgellau back in 1966 where I realised that God was real.  I had always had a healthy fear of God in my life and attended church occasionally and even taught in a Sunday School at one of them.  However, God was so distant.

I read a Gideon Bible (that I think was given to me at school) quite regularly, following the daily readings in it but God was not in my life as I know him to be now. I suppose, I yearned for God then but didn’t realise it.

It has been said that we each have a God shaped hole within us that can only be filled with God. Man tries to fill this hole with anything he can think of so that the hole doesn’t pain him – sport, a relationship, hobbies, being busy, helping(even sacrificing time and effort perhaps in charitable work) – but the fact is that this hole cannot be filled with anything or anyone other than God himself.  We were made to know God and enjoy him forever so somehow we can so easily fall short of our destiny.

My yearning for God continues.  I want more of him in knowing him intimately and being available for him. I want to be full of his Holy Spirit at all times so that when Jesus returns I am a wise servant rather than foolish so that I’m ready for him.

How our children need to know that their lives are destined for great things in knowing God and making him known to others. Just living a godly life (that only God in us can bring about) can speak to others and one life at a time can be changed so that the world becomes a better place.

‘Diamond Books’ exist to bless children and to let them know how much they are loved and valued. As they learn to read, they are able to access God’s word that is so life transforming.  That’s why these books are based on the Bible so that they don’t miss out.

May we each yearn for God like we’ve never done before so that we can learn to wait and listen to him (which I find hard – but it is so necessary) and find our place on the planet, loving and giving, serving and blessing every individual we come across.