Sometimes
people perceive a desire as a necessity. The heart can become so
consumed with a craving that fulfilling it feels critical to well-being.
Then, unless God meets the “need,” frustration occurs.
Believers wondering why they’ve been neglected should honestly answer one question: Is my petition essential to achieving God’s purpose, or is it only for my enjoyment?
Beyond basics like food and shelter, necessities might include money
for a mission trip or counseling for a troubled marriage. If we can’t
complete God’s plan without something, then it is a need, and He’ll
answer when we bring the matter before Him in prayer (Phil. 4:19).
God
is also pleased to satisfy desires that fit within the confines of His
purpose and will. The things we long for bring pleasure,
entertainment, or a sense of joy. Many are good and worth pursuing, but
they become troublesome when we deem them essential for our plans. God
isn’t obligated to grant wishes or fulfill any plans but His own.
However, He says that those who seek Him won’t lack any good thing (Ps.
34:10). Matthew 6:33
tells us we are to pursue the Lord above all else. That means making
our desires subject to His will. And when we “delight in the Lord”
(Ps. 37:4), He’ll also shape our desires to be most beneficial.
The
heavenly Father wants to be His children’s greatest delight—the One in
whom fulfillment and satisfaction are found. When that is true in a
believer’s life, then he or she does not require a lot of “stuff,”
entertainment, or other people in order to be happy. Genuine joy is
found in the Lord.
Source: InTouch Ministries
Sometimes I forget what I want isn't necessarily what I need. When 'things' become our focus instead of being in God's will, verses like this bring us back to reality. Sometimes what we want would make our lives easier, but did God call us to have an easy life? My prayer is that I remember each day that I'm here to be used of Him, not to use Him to make me more comfortable.
Sometimes I forget what I want isn't necessarily what I need. When 'things' become our focus instead of being in God's will, verses like this bring us back to reality. Sometimes what we want would make our lives easier, but did God call us to have an easy life? My prayer is that I remember each day that I'm here to be used of Him, not to use Him to make me more comfortable.
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