Many
people look to God to give them the desires of their heart. God is a good, good
Father, and we are entirely loved by Him. That is why He rarely grants our
wishes, unless He knows they are what we really need.
God's
Word tells us that we do not receive what we want from Him, nor are we able to
attain it on our own, regardless of the methods we use to achieve our goals,
because we have the wrong motive and simply want to squander our resources on
our own pleasures (James 4:2-3).
When
we are caught up in this world and desire earthly treasures, we are in a
hostile relationship with God, which results in us living as His enemy (James
4:4). Yes, the Word does tell us that God will give us the desires of our
heart, but where is our heart?
We
will receive what we ask for only if it is in lock-step with His commandments,
pleasing in His sight, and according to His will for us (1 John 3:22, 5:14).
Otherwise in His wisdom and love for us, God turns a deaf ear to our demands (Proverbs
1:28; Psalm 66:18).
There
are certain criteria required of us, in order for us to receive the desires of
our heart (Psalm 37:3-5):
1.
Trust in the Lord
2.
Do good with our life
3.
Cultivate faithfulness to God
4.
Commit our life to the Lord, and most importantly
5.
Delight in the Lord, and
6.
Consult Him at all times
Then
if we ask, He will give it; if we seek, we shall find; and if we knock, He will
open doors for us (Matthew 7:7-8; Job 22:26, 27:10). When our desires come from
Him, He does not withhold our requests (Psalm 21:2).
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us that when we honor You with our thoughts, words and actions -
when we come to realize that fearing You is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs
9:10), then You hear our cries to You and You save us (Psalm 145:19). You put
Your desires in our heart, and we want nothing more out of life than to abide
in Your presence each moment of all of our days.
When
we delight in You alone, wanting nothing more than to live as bond servants to
Your will for our life on this earth, You make us lie down in green pastures
and to ride on mountaintops, as You provide for our every need (Psalm 23:1;
Isaiah 58:14). Thank you for the multitude of blessings You give us all day
long; and help us to simplify our busy schedule, so that we are aware of every
one of Your miracles - great and small.
Thought
for the Day:
When
God is our Lord, we will open our mouth wide, and He will fill it; when worry
and fear threaten to overcome us, His comforts delight our soul; His steadfast
love never ceases, His faithfulness surrounds us each moment of our day, and
His mercies never ends, because they are new every morning.
-
Psalm 81:10, 94:19; Lamentations 3:22-23
