The Other Desires

“How much like the leper are you (Luke 5:12-16)?  Are you convinced (first of all) that Christ can do absolutely anything?  And secondly, are you also seeking His purposes in everything?  Are you more desirous of His work and will being done through your life than you are to be healed of your hardship or handicap?  If so, don’t lose courage.  As long as this remains the desire of your heart, come to Christ as the leper did—humbly making your request while seeking His purposes for your life.”  Beth Moore  Jesus

1 John 2:16 is pregnant with desires and pride that comes from the world.  “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.”  The desires of the flesh and the eyes do NOT come from the Father God.  I pretty much left it at that when I read it.  But, when I read what Beth Moore wrote, “the desire of your heart”, my eye was caught.  I thought, “Surely, God must give us desires as well.”  I must be able to have Godly desires to combat these fleshly desires.  And this my friends is EXACTLY the warfare I have been in the midst of for weeks now.  The desires of the flesh and eyes are seeking to lead me astray from Godly desires (to stay pure and true to God).  Jesus Himself addressed this in Matthew 26:41:  “’Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’"  If I love God with all my heart and have given Him dominion over it, I must keep a sharp guard to protect the desires of the heart that are pure and true to God.  Other desires seek to have their home back.  I once lived by the desires of the flesh and eyes.  But I take comfort by keeping the fires fresh for God’s desires in my heart!

kenny