DESIRE

He will fulfil the DESIRE of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them – Psalm 145:19

Psalm 145:16 says: “You open Your hand and satisfy the DESIRE of every living thing.” God is the Ultimate Satisfier of our Desires. He is not against us having desires. But think of this: If you could desire and have anything in the world, what would it be? What is your utmost craving? Your answer reveals a great deal about you. There is nothing wrong with desires – they motivate us to accomplish great things. Indeed, the starting point of all accomplishment is Desire! The snag is that not all of our aspirations, longings, and yearnings come from God. What do your desires say about your heart and who you are? Let’s consider two examples of desires that are common to many human beings, and God’s perspectives towards these.

Is your chief desire to be the Chief – to attain preeminent positions that put you in control over others? Longing for personal advancement in order to manipulate others reveals a lack of Integrity, whereas a godly person craves righteousness. The sons of Zebedee and their mother had such a strong desire preeminence, until the LORD reoriented their hearts to understand the true role and place of leadership. He realigned their desire to know that leadership is more about service than about domination (Mt.20:25-28). He said: “…whosoever DESIRES to be GREAT among you, let him be your servant. And whoever DESIRES to be FIRST among you, let him be your slave” (vv.26-27). So, it’s okay to desire to be great and to be first; but the route to fulfilling the desire for greatness and distinction is Service.

Is your dominant desire focused on wealth and fame? This might be a pointer to a void in your spirit that you’re trying to fill. No natural, physical or material stuff and no pursuit of fame or popularity can ever fill such nudging void. Only God can meet the insatiable hunger of the human heart. Zacchaeus is a biblical example of a person who had spent his entire life in the pursuit of fortune, but still harboured an insatiable void in his heart, until his encounter with Jesus (Lk.19:1-9). This divine encounter repositioned riches and wealth in the rightful place in Zacchaeus life. God makes us rich to reach out! He blesses us materially that we might be a blessing to others. Your possessions were never meant to possess you.

The Lord says, “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mk.11:24). It seems to me that Prayer filters or moderates your desires to ensure conformity with the Divine Will. When it appears that God is not responding favourably to your prayers, this is may be for your good. Perhaps your desires do not align with His will. Ask Him to make your desires conform to His will. Whatever you think, say or do, never take matters entirely into your own hands to go after what you want without reference to your Maker. Nowadays, we are bombarded by half-truths such as, “Your destiny is in your hands”! Yes, personal responsibility is vital, but it must never equate with rebellion against God. Without Him in the picture, life is futile. Lucifer’s longing for “greatness” was in rebellion against God; and eternal ejection, demotion, and destruction became his lot (Isa.14:13-19). There’s always a high price to pay for rebelling against God.

God “is gracious and full of compassion” (Psa.145:8a). He cares for you abundantly, but that doesn’t mean you can expect Him to provide whatever you want, whenever you want it, even if such could be detrimental to your destiny. Only when your dreams and desires align with God’s Perfect Plan for your life is He bound to fulfil them. The thoughts and desires that preoccupy your heart and mind are a true barometer of the state of your relationship with Christ. Your dominant desires are indicative of your life’s motivations.