God is God, and we are not. Even though we may emphatically know this, do we let it fully sink in? He can exercise His power and authority at will; and yet, He restrains Himself. He could make every human being do exactly as He desires. Even so, He leaves obedience up to us. Each of us must decide for our self whether we will obey or not. Though God does have desires, He doesnât force us to comply to them.
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Isnât it interesting God grants us our desires, some of which weâre barely conscious, while others are ginormous to us. He is interested in them, but, how interested are we in His? Do we really care, or do we just say we do? If we are truly delighting ourselves in Him, wouldnât we take interest in His desires? How many delight themselves just so they can get what they want? He is fully aware of our intentions, even if we arenât. How many, if theyâre honest, will admit they want to be in charge and are only concerned with their own interests?
Here is something for churches to consider: the reason some have very little impact, is their members are only concerned with their desires. âThis is the kind of church I want!â In some, people have even bickered over the color of the carpet. Since when is carpet more important than souls? Some are more interested in their traditions than the Word of God. Itâs one reason some do not spend a lot of time in their Bibles. Truth has a way of interfering with error. Some things havenât changed since Jesusâ earthly ministry.
Mark 7:6-8 Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
People suffer when traditions and doctrines of men are taught instead the true Doctrine of Christ. Traditions create a disconnect between them and the Lord. Only Truth is going to change lives on the highest level, give people true freedom (see John 8:31-21). Many have fled churches because of the lack of authenticity, especially young people. God confirms His Word, not traditions of men.
Colossians 2:6-10 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power.
Make no mistake, your desires are important; otherwise, God wouldnât participate in them. Your desires play a part of your relationship and interaction with Him. A healthy relationship is a two-way street, and to have a meaningful relationship, we might want to take interest in His desires.
Colossians 1:18 And He is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
PS. Be sure to check out our podcasts. We started a new series entitled “Perfect Faith (His Faith, Not Ours),” which is based on the book. It’s an audio version of the book, podcast style.
