Desire, Part IV

Desire of the heart is what God looks for. He is looking for our desire and our love. He is not worried whether or not we are bad or good but instead He is looking to see if we are good because we desire Him and love Him. Now that what we do doesn't matter, (for we are saved by the free gift through Jesus Christ), what we do now is purely an expression of our love for God. Through our actions, our desire is seen and witnessed not only by God but by others.

Psalm57:9-11

9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

Desire, Part III

The growing Christian must understand what defines maturity as a believer. Patience and many of the other fruits of the Spirit are not just talked about but show themselves in the life of a mature believer. They are not argumentative or coarse and hot headed. Faith in Christ is important but many are more concerned with their right to be right. It is not about being right or having the "true message" but instead it is about loving God and loving others.

One such marker that shows our maturity in Christ is desire. If I could be anything or if I could ask anything and it be fulfilled immediately before my eyes, I would ask for a closer walk with God or to be a great part of His awesome plan. I would ask this even if it meant pain and sacrifice. I don't want a car. I don't want anything but God's glory. I am content with whatever He wants for me, in good and in bad there is always a purpose or a lesson.

Desire for God is such conviction that boils over to an investment in God where God consumes your life. It determines the music I listen to and the shows I watch or don't watch. I am not interested in this world or anything it has to offer. I only look toward the blessed hope and a new Heaven and Earth. I look toward the future He has promised me and I must nurture the faith in that promise everyday.

1 John 2:15-17

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Desire, Part II

What an awesome thing it is to desire God. To remember Him and honor Him even in the "small" moments of our everyday life is a treasure to those who truly love Him. One thing that separated David from all others was His great desire for God. As I mention in my original post on Desire, David expresses this love and desire for God in his Psalms. We see his desire for God's laws and God's word. It is also important for us to desire God out of love for Him. We must make every effort to remember Him and show Him our love everyday.

Psalm 73:25-28

25Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Desire

Over the last few posts we have learned that obedience to God is about love. It has nothing to do with our character or whether we are a bad person or a good person, a success or a failure but instead it is about our love for God. This is an amazing statement because we now come to realize that God is not looking for us to be righteous and perfect but he is looking for us to love him. He desires our love. From the time we are first saved until our last breath, we start out on a path of growth. We are born again. Each Christian is at a different place in their growth. As we mature, we mature in love. The Spirit turns our hearts from cold, hardened, and selfish to warm, soft, and compassionate. So how do we measure where we are on this road of growth?

Just as a highway has markers to show us where we are as we drive down the road, our path of growth also has markers that help us to understand where we are in comparison to where we should be. Desire for God is that marker or measurement. To desire His ways, His laws, His compassion, His word, His teaching, and His Spirit is to desire God himself. God is love as John so boldly declares. It is our responsibility as Christians to see our Father as love and move towards becoming the same. Jesus gave us a new commandment. What this means is that the old law has passed away and the new has come. This new commandment was to love one another as He loved us. Compassion and sincerity are the hardest things to find in this world. If we are honest with ourselves we are not near as compassionate and sincere as we try to make everyone believe.  Yet no matter what our imperfections or where we are in our growth, we should always be moving towards loving one another. So many have their theories on the purpose of life but I feel that life is a series of lessons on how to love and it is not as easy as it may sound.

Consider King David. God said that David was a man after his own heart. David loved God. From David we can learn allot about desiring God and loving him. As we learn how to love God, we also learn how to love others. Notice David's desire for God in the following verses.

Psalm 119: 13-18

13 With my lips I recount
       all the laws that come from your mouth.

 14 I rejoice in following your statutes
       as one rejoices in great riches.

 15 I meditate on your precepts
       and consider your ways.

 16 I delight in your decrees;
       I will not neglect your word.

Psalm 119:129-136

129 Your statutes are wonderful;
       therefore I obey them.

 130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
       it gives understanding to the simple.

 131 I open my mouth and pant,
       longing for your commands.

 132 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
       as you always do to those who love your name.

 133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
       let no sin rule over me.

 134 Redeem me from the oppression of men,
       that I may obey your precepts.

 135 Make your face shine upon your servant
       and teach me your decrees.

 136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
       for your law is not obeyed.