What do you Desire?
(Prov 11:23 MSG) The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon compares the desires of good people (the godly) with the wicked ambition of the ungodly. Interestingly enough, I just had a conversation with my Friend at work about desiring the right things.
What you inwardly desire and passionately pursue is a good indicator of what is truly important to you; what you consider significant or weighty in your life. Before I came to Christ my desires were pretty common among the ungodly. I wanted to make lots of money, buy a big house, drive a nice car, and raise my family in a nice place.
Those desires in and of themselves were not bad. But my heart was not right with God and therefore, I was willing to do things that were not pleasing to God to attain them. I had what Solomon calls, "Wicked ambition." There is a thin line between being a hard worker and being so ambitious that your ambition consumes you.
I have never been lazy. I have been working since I was 13 years old. Hard work was not the problem, it was the condition of my heart. My desire was focused on "things" instead of on God. Riches motivated me and I now know that the pursuit of riches can be deceitful. Even believers must be careful not to be consumed by the pursuit of riches.
In Jesus' parable of all parables - the parable of the Sower and the Seed - He explained how "The cares of this world... the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things" (Mark 4:19) can choke the Word right out of the heart of those that hear it, making it unfruitful.
So what is the solution to the problem? How can a person that comes to God with wicked ambition learn to develop Godly desires? Let's ask Solomon's father David for an answer. David said, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
When I first read this verse I thought it meant that if I lived right, that God would give me everything that my heart desired. But after studying it out and after walking with God for many years, I have learned that what David was saying is that when you live a life that is pleasing to God, He will give you the "desires of your heart."
I say again, the "desires" themselves, not necessarily (or immediately) the object of your desires. When your life is pleasing to God and when your heart is pliable in His hands, He is able to give you Godly desires. You develop a hunger and a thirst for Godly things. You learn to want what He wants you to have. You develop a passionate pursuit for the things He freely wants to give you. And the awesome part to all of this is that God is not an unrighteous Father that will birth desires in us for things that He has no plans on actually giving us.
No! He gives us the desire for something, long before He makes it manifest in our lives, but He does so with the full intention of making good on every desire. He will never cause us to develop a thirst for something that He does NOT plan on giving us. He helps us develop the right desires and He then makes sure the desires are manifested in our lives, giving us a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, and the confidence of knowing that our Father loves us!
So what does this mean to you ? It means that you have a choice. If you are new to God, then I am sure you still have unrighteous desires (birthed from the flesh), but you can wean yourself from them, by learning to live a life that is pleasing to God. The more you walk with the Father, the more you will develop a hunger and a thirst for Godly things. The more you do, the more you will see the manifestation of those things in your life. Frustration is the end result of pursuing the wrong things. Pursue the right things and you will be fully satisfied!
Father, I thank You for developing a hunger and a thirst for righteousness in my heart. I learn to live a life that is pleasing to You and as I do, You begin to place Godly desires in my heart. Before I know it, I am pursuing things I never pursued before I and I pursue them fully believing that they WILL come to pass. You give me the desires and then You make them good! Thank You Father for purging me from the pursuit of the wrong things. I pursue the right things and I am fully satisfied in You! In Jesus' name. Amen!
(Prov 11:23 MSG) The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon compares the desires of good people (the godly) with the wicked ambition of the ungodly. Interestingly enough, I just had a conversation with my Friend at work about desiring the right things.
What you inwardly desire and passionately pursue is a good indicator of what is truly important to you; what you consider significant or weighty in your life. Before I came to Christ my desires were pretty common among the ungodly. I wanted to make lots of money, buy a big house, drive a nice car, and raise my family in a nice place.
Those desires in and of themselves were not bad. But my heart was not right with God and therefore, I was willing to do things that were not pleasing to God to attain them. I had what Solomon calls, "Wicked ambition." There is a thin line between being a hard worker and being so ambitious that your ambition consumes you.
I have never been lazy. I have been working since I was 13 years old. Hard work was not the problem, it was the condition of my heart. My desire was focused on "things" instead of on God. Riches motivated me and I now know that the pursuit of riches can be deceitful. Even believers must be careful not to be consumed by the pursuit of riches.
In Jesus' parable of all parables - the parable of the Sower and the Seed - He explained how "The cares of this world... the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things" (Mark 4:19) can choke the Word right out of the heart of those that hear it, making it unfruitful.
So what is the solution to the problem? How can a person that comes to God with wicked ambition learn to develop Godly desires? Let's ask Solomon's father David for an answer. David said, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
When I first read this verse I thought it meant that if I lived right, that God would give me everything that my heart desired. But after studying it out and after walking with God for many years, I have learned that what David was saying is that when you live a life that is pleasing to God, He will give you the "desires of your heart."
I say again, the "desires" themselves, not necessarily (or immediately) the object of your desires. When your life is pleasing to God and when your heart is pliable in His hands, He is able to give you Godly desires. You develop a hunger and a thirst for Godly things. You learn to want what He wants you to have. You develop a passionate pursuit for the things He freely wants to give you. And the awesome part to all of this is that God is not an unrighteous Father that will birth desires in us for things that He has no plans on actually giving us.
No! He gives us the desire for something, long before He makes it manifest in our lives, but He does so with the full intention of making good on every desire. He will never cause us to develop a thirst for something that He does NOT plan on giving us. He helps us develop the right desires and He then makes sure the desires are manifested in our lives, giving us a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, and the confidence of knowing that our Father loves us!
So what does this mean to you ? It means that you have a choice. If you are new to God, then I am sure you still have unrighteous desires (birthed from the flesh), but you can wean yourself from them, by learning to live a life that is pleasing to God. The more you walk with the Father, the more you will develop a hunger and a thirst for Godly things. The more you do, the more you will see the manifestation of those things in your life. Frustration is the end result of pursuing the wrong things. Pursue the right things and you will be fully satisfied!
Father, I thank You for developing a hunger and a thirst for righteousness in my heart. I learn to live a life that is pleasing to You and as I do, You begin to place Godly desires in my heart. Before I know it, I am pursuing things I never pursued before I and I pursue them fully believing that they WILL come to pass. You give me the desires and then You make them good! Thank You Father for purging me from the pursuit of the wrong things. I pursue the right things and I am fully satisfied in You! In Jesus' name. Amen!
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