"You cannot have what you want."
"But what I want is good . . . it is of God," the disciple protests.
"Even so, if your desire is anything other than God himself, your longing has become a competitor . . . an idol. There is more to be considered than simply the 'good' or 'bad' of a thing. Your longing might be ill-timed, secretly self-flattering, or good your your own eyes, but only God knows what is truly good. Our vocation is to seek God himself, and to allow him to order the things of our lives, the times, the relationships, the possessions, the opportunities, and the experiences as he desires. Much is wasted by disciples who believe that God has shown them what is good and they pursue it for him, rather than understanding that God has shown himself to be good that we might long for him."
1 comment:
Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Several years ago I heard Steve Meeks point out that the word "delight" and "desires" comes from the same Hebrew root. My Hebrew is very rusty (read, "completely forgotten"), so I haven't checked him out.
But if what he is saying is true, and it makes sense, the psalmist is saying, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you himself-- because that is what your heart will desire."
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