I want to go to Africa.
Those are two of my biggest desires in life. However, I'm currently a single women living in America. Doesn't exactly match. This week in Tuesday chapel at the Association Free Lutheran Bible School (AFLBS), senior Hans Tanner spoke of the True Vine and the branches from John 15. As he described the process and need of pruning he said something that cut straight to my heart. To paraphrase, he said that sometimes God prunes us by taking away good, godly desires in order to draw us closer to Him. Specifically, he mentioned Africa and a relationship. Was he talking directly to me? I think so.
James 1 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above". So if God is good and my desires are good, shouldn't I receive them? This used to be a legitimate question of mine--as I believe others have questioned as well-- but as I grow older I have noticed that it doesn't always work that way. Another portion of Scripture I used for my argument was Psalm 37:4 which states, "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart". To me, this sounded like an "if-then" scenario. I could handle delighting myself in the Lord if God would give me what I wanted. Easy enough right?
Oh how wrong I was! While arguing this point of mine to a friend, he told me that the verse from the Psalms could be translated that He will make His desires become our desires. Now that scared me. I knew what I wanted, and I didn't want to want what He wants! Sound a little silly? Those were honestly my thoughts though.
So while my desires have not changed, I know that God is able to surpass my every wish. And He is able to surpass your's as well. Draw near to God, that's exactly what He wants of you right now.
Thanks for this, Kate! It is a hard realization to learn that we must give up our desires and let the Lord's desires become our own. But, His plans are always so much greater than our own! Thanks again for the encouragement and reminder to me. :)
ReplyDeleteGod is DEFINITELY able to surpass our every wish (wishES - plural!!!). And He is definitely able to surpass your's as well as mine. Sometimes we think we don't want His desires - but really, He is the one that has created good - our Heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts. :-) Man we have a great God!!
ReplyDeleteCheck out Matthew 7--> Here's verse 11: "If then, you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Compliments of the ESV.
~Naomi T.