[God] satisfies your desires with good things. — Psalm 103:5
Big Idea #8. Every desire — good, bad and ugly — will take you to God if you allow it.
What do you do with your evil desires? Take them to God!
This is one of the most powerful lessons I have ever learned. All of us are tempted. We pray to avoid temptation, but when it comes, let it be an opportunity for God.
God delights in satisfying our desires. Not to make us self-indulgent, spoiled little brats. Not at all. But rather so that we might drink deep the truth of His love for us. Now, obviously, He will not fulfill an evil desire in its evil form. But, He will take that desire and untangle all that is twisted in it, and satisfy the unspoken need behind it — breaking forever the power of that evil desire.
Which brings us to the reason God satisfies our desires. He satisfies them to make us whole again.
Sometimes there is an element of delayed gratification. Yes, God gives us what we want, but not right away. And there is value to that. The person who can buy anything he wants has nothing of value — everything is a trinket and a toy. But the person who sacrifices for what he wants learns to value the things that are important. If part of that sacrifice involves coming back to God day after day with what we desire, the fellowship with God will eventually eclipse the pursuit of the desire.
Then we find that we have gained something far greater than we anything we knew how to ask for.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.