‘Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you your heart’s desires. ‘ Psalms 37:4
I was talking to someone this week, and they said, “victim of circumstance.” And this got me thinking.
I started to think about “circumstances” that people could be victims of. Here is the list that I came up with:
- Natural Disasters (Earthquakes, Extreme weather events, Tsunami, Volcanos, Floods, Drought)
- Any hardship a child could experience in the years they are under parental guidance.
- Anything that might happen without foresight (Car crash that you didn’t cause, building collapsing, someone causing physical harm in a crowd)
These things do happen to people, and it certainly does cause pain and suffering but when you look at the Bible and study the lessons in it, you will find that God can use these situations to bring us closer to Himself.
Aside from the circumstances that we can’t control, let’s focus on some of the things we can control: our desires.
When you look around, what is it that people seem to desire?
- Wealth
- Riches (Property, jewelry, boats, cars, or I like to boil it down to stuff)
- Recognition (Fame, notoriety)
- Revenge
- Longevity
And sadly, many people sell their souls for these things. There was one man who God asked what he desired.
‘That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” ‘ 2 Chronicles 1:7
God is constantly searching our hearts. Above all else, He wants us to desire Him. He wants us to glorify Him with our thoughts, words, and actions. Let’s get back to Solomon; he may give us some clues that may help our thinking:
Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?” ‘ 2 Chronicles 1:8-10
Solomon asked God to give him the wisdom and knowledge to govern the people under his care.
‘Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. ‘ 1 Peter 5:2-4
When God gives us the faith to believe in Jesus, there are people who we are entrusted with. And the way that He asks us to lead them is by our good example. And one of the ways that we can be a good example is by controlling our desires. Back to Solomon:
‘God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!” ‘ 2 Chronicles 1:11-12
Please understand this does not guarantee that we will be wealthy, rich, and famous. But when we ask for the wisdom and skills to help those around us, He will bless our hearts. When we focus on helping others and laying down our desires, He will bless us. And our desire to be wealthy, rich and famous will not have control over us.
Here are some verses about desire that may help us:
‘Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. ‘ Proverbs 3:15
‘For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. ‘ Proverbs 8:11
There are times when we look around and wonder why it appears that there are wealthy people whose lives do not line up with what God wants, and it is hard for us to understand this.
‘Don’t envy evil people or desire their company. ‘ Proverbs 24:1
We will all stand before the throne of God to give an account. Understand that the only thing that matters to God is accepting His Son as our Lord and Savior. There is nothing that we can do to get ourselves into heaven.
Our desires will shift when God provides this faith to change our hearts. We will desire to grow closer in our relationship with Jesus, and with that shift in desire, we will desire to be in God’s Word.
We will desire to pray to God for those who are lost. We are praying that God will grant them the repentance He gave us.
We will desire to be around those who believe in the Lord.
Heavenly Father, I pray for the hearts of those who do not know You are their God. I pray that You continue Your work, bringing those who are chosen to come to know You.
I pray that my life glorifies You in my thoughts, words, and action. Let my life praise You in every way, every day.
I thank You for those You place in my life, especially those who challenge me. I pray that You temper my desire to be right and open my heart to the lessons that You have for me to learn.
I pray for and ask for Your wisdom to help those around me come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
I pray this in the Holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen!! 🙏❤️
