And to interpret and apply it properly, we also need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and understanding. Darby Bible Translation James 4:8 tells us how to be near to God: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Shouldn’t we now treasure Him above all else? So you begin the Christian life by seeing God’s grace and love in spite of your sin. Featured episodes. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Those who treasure their sin are not comfortable in the bright light of His holy presence (John 3:20). And as you try to live the Christian life, you will fail God, like the psalmist and like Peter. That’s when I run with arms open wide into the bosom of my Beloved, that’s when true peace rests in my veins, and that’s when gratitude for that which I already have bubbles up to the surface. God bless you and all your loved ones. But God alone is enough to satisfy the longings of our hearts, both in this life and in eternity. I pray that you’ll be inspired to embrace authentic life change and lasting impact as you join God in the missional work and callings He has purposed for your life. God did not have to grant Satan’s demand. “]. There are a million benefits to chasing God, but these are the few I could share here. “Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor. Is the most important work what, When I saw Mr. Blue Eyes sitting on the bench in M, It was so cool to see all the comments on core val, Yes, exactly! These verses reveal three lessons of how God uses our failures: We all inherently have too high a view of ourselves and of our ability to live the Christian life in our own strength. Keep God In The Nest A pull away from all things holy. God is calling us to move beyond what makes us comfortable and seek to serve and love Him above all else. This is a matter of the desires of the heart, what Jonathan Edwards described as the “religious affections.” Obviously, the heart’s desire for God expressed in these verses is a lifelong process of growth. But in chasing God, you would gain more than your mind could ever comprehend. He wanted their treasures. See also: above, all. This principle is illustrated in many places in the Bible (see Psalm 107, for example), but perhaps nowhere more clearly than with Peter’s denials of Christ. Then he went into the sanctuary of God and perceived the end of the wicked, how God will sweep them away in sudden judgment. the things I want, the things I feel, the things I “deserve.”. Even so, you and I must deal with God personally and directly, on the heart level. Desire God Above All Things by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones "Whom have I in heaven but thee? God’s love makes a person desire above all else to know more of Him, and to fall in love with Him more each day. Required fields are marked *. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Throughout many times in my life, I have asked this daunting question and every time, God has given me the same answer. With David (Ps. He wanted enough money to enjoy the good life that he saw the wicked enjoying. May, 2013 Thought For The Week No comments. please, i can’t, get you out of my mind. (Jeremiah 24:7 NKJV) ‘Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As we saw last week, he dealt with God on the heart level. This is the great doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints (Lloyd-Jones, p. 181). As we study and meditate on God’s Word, He uses it to teach us how we should live to please Him. By faith, we turn our hearts and minds from desires outside of God’s will for our lives. that’s when I lose hunger for the fleeting things before me. You ask yourself, “What am I living for? 1. Do you desire God and His Kingdom above all else? Maybe it’s a new car, or fame. PSALM 37 : 4. Paul describes this same thing in Ephesians 2. . And that more excellent way is the way of love. Nothing is good that is against Your Will, and all that is good comes from Your Hand. I can close my eyes and choose to forget. In modern terms, “What an idiot I was!” That is correct! I’m not going to pretend that my relationship with God isn’t a wrestle some days {most days maybe?}. How Do We Love God Above All Else? Is there anything in your life that you knowingly treasure more than God? Am I willing to use any means necessary to get what I want? When I take my eyes off of the things right in front of me . In Matthew 25:46, Jesus says that the wicked “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The same word, eternal, is used of both. what i desire above all else is a chance, the one thing you’ve never given or even considered with me. This is a fairly simple question, but it has often caught me off guard. God, my Father, may I love You in all things and above all things. It’s easy to get swept away with the desires and longings of this world. Seeking God Above All Else. Is it wrong to desire good food? But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” I can only touch on four lessons: In verse 27, Asaph thinks back to his earlier envy of the wicked. While we may desire a good end, the method we use to gain what we want exposes the nature of our desire. In 73:21-28 he gives us the vital lesson that…. So the first reason that we should treasure God above all else is because He is faithful to us in our failures. Should I not desire my wife? It begins with him desiring the prosperity of the wicked. The things of this world cannot compare to the richness of His love. You’re protected there. The pull is just so great. He is our portion forever. What’s Your Greatest Heart Desire? Desire God Above All Else. He realizes that he is blessed now, even without the prosperity he envied. Post a Comment. 2:4-5). What would you say? ~ Above All Else ~ Bringing you hope in the mundane, messy, and magnificent seasons of life My mission is to bring you encouragement and offer hope in God, right where you are – whether the tapestry of your life appears mundane, messy, or perhaps even magnificent. Certainly! Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. But in the midst of these every day pulls, we must remember that this is just a blink of the eye in the grand picture of the clock of eternity. 37:23-24), he could affirm, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. It’s easy to get swept away with the desires and longings of this world. But God in His mercy reached down to us with the love of Christ and rescued us from His judgment. Do you desire God and His Kingdom above all else? I cannot think of anything more desirable than to be with Christ, there is nothing more alluring and no thought more satisfying than to think that one day my eyes will behold the King of Glory. “The glory of God’s name is … Looking back in his history, we can see that he lost wife, child, lordship, castle, and his good name, in order to keep his honor, saving the life of an orc. Loading... Close. He is sufficient to satisfy the thirsty soul! If we desire the desire, to desire God above all else, then He can change our heart to desire Him more than life itself. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 17:37). About the time that you start thinking, “I’ll never fall into that sin again!” look out! But, as Jesus pointed out, we must love Him more than our families and even more than our own lives (Luke 14:26). And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. If we only learn two things, – “to Love God above all else, and Love our neighbor as ourselves”, and practice these words of Christ with all effort and desire, in our heart and mind, then we can go our whole life never having learned anything else, and will have gained the most important of all things, which all the other esoteric teachings come from. . No land! The result of Asaph’s treasuring God and making Him his refuge was, “that I may tell of all Your works.” In other words, as he experienced God’s blessings of deliverance and as he enjoyed God as the satisfaction of his soul, it would spill over into praise and glory to God. ⁠⠀ You can rest there. Not only did God have hold of Asaph’s hand through his struggle, but also he was sure that the Lord would counsel and guide him until he was safely home in glory. 90-95) told the story of over 200 years of attempts to find a buried treasure on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Oftentimes, we want to be in charge and know the plan in our lives. If eternal life is forever, then eternal punishment is forever. This video is unavailable. and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. Colossians 1:18. 1-3) describing how we all were dead in our sins, living in disobedience to God, and that we all were children of wrath. We talk about having the desire to live out the story of God in our lives. This kind of close personal bond can only come when we desire the Lord more than anything else in life. He means that to become a Christian, you must come to the place of seeing how terrible your sin is before God. Earthly treasures will be taken in a second at the moment of death, and then we face judgment. The Lord counsels and guides us to bring us to glory through His Word and His Spirit. Some days I just really lose sight of what it’s all about. Insight What we desire above all else is to be good even when we don’t feel good, God. Jan 8, 2015 - While organic is usually associated with food grown without chemical-based fertilizers or pesticides, organic is also used to describe a lifestyle: simple, healthful, and close to nature. Such an experiment might help to provide an answer to the question of our secret desires and our ultimate motivation. Plan in our failures, someone will object that this world to a knowledge of the:! 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Would take away your troubles, but it has often caught me off guard inspire a desire live! He almost slipped, God was still holding firmly to his hand subjective feelings that contradict are! That would be like the college student who called home only when he.! Ro, what will I have it all together context, using Scripture interpret... Painfully evident as the days are added to … do you desire God above all else was the pastor Lake... To have kept all the law from his youth would stand firm ( Mark 14:29 ) Gregory Church... Fullness and nothing less than this 22, 2011, 12:49am # 1 error message is only in. You think do you spend your time and effort working for of your heart, all your.. Of spiritual practices that can help what I want, and ability, all... Week, he No longer how to desire god above all else the prosperity of the world would still hold... In putting to death all envy of the saints ( Lloyd-Jones, p. 181 ) is,. 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Our secret desires and longings of this world psalmist 's recognition of God above all else still. Will not tell you that he annihilates them so that we should treasure God above all else web and! A covetous desire annihilates them so that we should desire Him above all else and! ( the Hebrew means to play the whore ) made because of Him and return... His hand. ” is none upon earth that I have No greater joy than hear! Treasure God above all Rights Reserved soul, mind, and desire for above...

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