Desire

Have you ever used a metal detector to search for hidden treasure? I personally haven’t, but it does look like a lot of fun....especially if you actually find something!


I’m sure you've heard the expression “Nothing worth having comes easy”. I think it’s fair to say that in life it’s true anything valuable, worthwhile and profitable usually comes from hard work. It could be the singleness of mind to achieve it. Or the deep rooted desire to obtain it. Or even the physical effort which is put in to make it happen. But whatever it is, it normally doesn't happen passively.


David wrote in Psalm 27:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple”. (NIV) David had one, single-hearted desire; He wanted to spend his days considering the beauty of God. This wouldn't happen naturally. It wouldn't just occur in his life, that desire to spend the time, and to put in the effort, of seeking after God. In this Psalm, David is aware of his enemies being around him, and his own sinful weakness within him, and yet he wouldn't allow them to distract him from his desire.


If God offered to grant me one request, what would I ask for? Fame, wealth, health, or family perhaps? David’s soul desire was to spend time with God, and getting to know His beauty. It was this craving that lead him to act, and the actions were the very things which made it happen. God wants to be found. He tells us “You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13). You won’t however find God passively. He won’t just come and sit next to you on the bus, or call your mobile. We have to put in the effort.


Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8 ESV). If we are to know God, we must make sure that there is no sin in our lives. Firstly, if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then the sin in your life (All of the times you’ve broken God’s laws) means that God won’t reveal himself to you. Isaiah said “yours iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you” (59:2 KJV). Secondly, once you have had your sins forgiven, God expects us to keep ourselves free from further sin. (While it’s impossible to never sin again because of our sinful nature, we are to constantly confess our sin and keep short accounts with God. You can see more about this in my other post SinLESS.)


God wants us to know Him, He wants us to search for Him; but what beauty can we gaze on when we consider God? Well, imagine a rainbow. Each colour on its own is a beautiful thing. Perhaps red would represent God’s grace. The blue His mercy. Maybe the green His sovereignty? Each one is worthy of our time to consider and appreciate, but when we put them all together, we have a far greater person and understanding to worship and adore God. He is not lacking in anything, He is absolute in all things, and as such is worth the time, effort and hard work to find. Perhaps you could share some of the things you've discovered about Him recently in the comments section below. Its great to share the things we learn about God, each of us adding to the understanding of other people.


What gets in my way from knowing God? Do I allow work commitments, or friendships in the world, or pleasures of sin to occupy my time? I know what personally stops me. What about you? Jesus has given eternal life to those who trust in Him. “This is life eternal, that they may know the only true God and Jesus Christ who you have sent” (John 17:3). He’s worth the effort!

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Yours in Him

Dan