[Discoveries] 08-22-08 God and desire -- Psalm 145:16

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. -- 
Psalm 145:16*/

Desire is basic to who we are. Without desires we wouldn't be human. God 
created us to want affection, approval, nourishment, love, sex, 
fulfillment and so on. The One who loves us and the one who hates us 
contend for our desires.

The enemy promises shortcuts to satisfy our desires, but leaves us 
empty, hungry for more. The food he brings can only carry the illusion 
of satisfying while it creates more and more pain that twists our 
hearts. Ultimately, he wants to put us in such a state that nothing can 
satisfy our desires.

I think of the sexual abuse survivor who desperately needs to be loved, 
but overtures of love are interpreted as carrying ulterior and 
destructive motives, and so love sometimes cannot be received ... 
without the Lord's healing.

On the other hand, the Lord fulfills your longings. Sometimes God is 
characterized as only meeting needs, as not really caring about your 
wants or desires. I'm not sure how we came up with that idea. The Lord 
is intensely interested in all of your desires -- even the frivolous 
ones -- even the bad ones. He will satisfy all of them, but not always 
when and how you expect.

God isn't mainly a "drink-your-castor-oil," 
"I-only-do-this-for-your-own-good" God. God created you with your own 
unique collection of desires. Yes, some of those desires have been 
corrupted, and God will take you through a process of purifying your 
heart so that He can satisfy all your desires with good things.

If you want to get to know God, talk to Him about your desires and His. 
You might discover something new about His great love for you.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of 
violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the 
power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by 
addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families 
are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who 
face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers 
are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the 
faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one 
person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the 
sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with 
other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the 
supernatural happens.

You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a 
reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ 
<http://www.dwightclough.com> is included.

Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by
Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc.
1223 West Main Street #228
Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA
Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations.
Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ <http://www.dwightclough.com/A-support.php> 
for more information.

Change your subscription: 
_http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/discoveries/attachments/20080817/2c11275a/attachment.htm>