desire

our pastor's sermon today was really excellent. he's doing a series on the sermon on the mount, as we make our focus for these first few months of 2009 "wisdom" (overall theme for the year: luke 2:52--growing in wisdom, stature/health, favor with God and favor with man, like Christ did).

anyway, there were several things that jumped out to me as he discussed having a maximum devotion to Christ. first, a Heart that DESIRES to be right with God. specifically, he said: "very little comes to those who do not desire it."

it seems at first like a "duh" statement, but the more i think about it, the more i realize how true this is. i mean, there are a lot of things that i say that i want. i want to be more healthy. i want to make better choices, to have a better schedule, to stop making excuses, to stop cursing, etc etc

but do i really, REALLY desire these things? i mean, in a way that drives me? compels me?

i think that's the difference. we all want the best life we can have. but, are we willing to do what it takes to get there? do we desire the best, specifically God's best so much that it changes the way we live, the way we interact with Him? or do we just settle for good enough? for being good, basically content people, when we could be spiritually ALIVE?

hello. i think i know where i fall all too often...

he also said that, especially when it comes to our walk with God, the more you have, the more you want. and, the less you have, the less you're interested in Him.

i definitely can see that in my life. that's why i think psalm 34:8 is so powerful: "TASTE and see that the Lord is GOOD." it implies that we have to get up close and personal, take a bite, see for ourselves. don't just take someone else's word for it! don't just sit on the sidelines and watch someone else live out life with Him! taste and see!

what an incredible invitation! to KNOW God so intimately, to draw near, to taste His very goodness. and yet, how easy i find it to totally ignore Him. to fill up on junk food, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically, and to miss out on the goodness of drawing near to Him.

it fits--it's not something we can explain or describe, but only experience through moving in His direction, through taking that first bite, that first step towards Him. maybe at first moving without any desire at all, but believing that to move towards Him will bring about desire, will fuel the want for Him that will change us forever. awaken us. quicken us.

hmm...good stuff...