Is What You Want What You Need?

Sometimes I think I'm pretty smart.

Maybe not consciously, but my actions seem to show otherwise. I somehow convince myself that I don't need to get into the Word often, that it's not that important, or that I've been in it enough in the past to 'cover me' for a couple of days or weeks.

Big.Fat.Lie.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" -Jeremiah 17:9

What is true?

In me, there is no good thing. (Romans 7:18). Apart from God, I can do no good thing. (John 15:5)

When I choose to not get into the Word, to consciously and intentionally connect with God, I'm not just staying in some neutral zone. I cannot continue to move forward with His work without Him.

Because you know what happens? It becomes my work. And you know what that is? Lifeless. Dull. Striving. Distraction. (refer to Romans 7:18 & John 15:5 above)

There is no neutral zone. The enemy wants me to think there is. That all I'm doing is just choosing to rest. I deserve rest, right? It's just too hard to seek after the Lord all the time, right?

Another lie.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What I am really choosing when I don't choose to spend time in God's word is not to rest, but to slowly allow my mind to revert to it's old way of thinking.

And you know who that looks like? Not Jesus, that's for sure.

But as it states in the beginning of John 15:5, if I choose to abide in God, I can bear good fruit. It's conditional on my connection and close relationship with Him.

And you know one awesome truth that still astonishes me today as much as it did the first time I heard it?

God, the Creator of the Universe -who is totally capable of just telling me to do something & asking for my obedience, period -chooses to allow me to not only partake in His Work, but He'll even give me a joy and a passion for it!

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

He has the ability to change my heart, to give me a desire for Him, His Kingdom, and what is good for me. He can make me passionate and excited about what He has called me to do so that it's a joy and a delight for me to do it!

Seriously.

That's Grace.

Which brings me to what inspired this post in the first place.

I had an old Passion song in my head this morning, and I believe God was bringing it to mind to remind me of what to ask Him for.

"Give me one pure and holy passion. Give me one magnificent obsession. Give me one glorious ambition for my life, to know and follow hard after you." - One Pure and Holy Passion, Passion

When I feel less than enthused, when I feel dry and uninspired, distracted by many things, God says we can ask for the desire to seek Him.

We can ask for a hunger for His Word.
For eyes to see His truth.
For a heart that is undivided, so that we not only believe the truth, but we truly embrace it wholeheartedly.

And He will give it to us because He knows that it is what we need. More of Him.

And it's what He wants!

More of us!

I don't have to pretend to be excited about getting into the Word. (Sometimes I am...often I'm not, if I'll be honest). I don't have to come to God with any pretense. I can just come to Him as I am.

Lazy. Fallen.In need.

And He wants to respond. And He will respond, when we seek Him with all our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13) And He will continue to amaze us. Thrill us. Excite us. And give us a love for Him.

He is the Source, and we just have to stay connected.

"There is none like you. No one else can touch my heart like You do. And I could search for all eternity long and find, there is none like You."