Month: March 2023

Our Father promises that when we truly want to know Him, we will.

1 Corinthians 13:11-13

Most of us long to feel truly known by those we love. That makes sense because we were created in God’s image—He also desires to be intimately understood and loved by us.

Just as you don’t want to be known for only the superficial details of who you appear to be, it’s not enough to simply know about the Lord. He wants us to learn how He thinks and feels, what’s important to Him, and what His purposes are. Of course, it’s impossible for us to completely know His mind. In Isaiah 55:9, He tells us, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” The depth and breadth of His mind is so great that we will never be able to fully grasp it in this lifetime.

However, we can better understand God’s heart by seeking Him and learning from His Word. If we desire to walk in His ways, we must first genuinely know Him. Just as we come to know our friends better by sharing experiences together, we’ll also understand God better the longer we walk with Him.

God wants you to seek Him with all your heart, and He promises that when you do, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). So, the next time you’re feeling a need to be better understood, turn to the One who understands you perfectly. Even more importantly, ask Him to help you know Him better.

When we learn to delight in the Lord, we are forever changed and discover unspeakable joy.

Psalm 37:4-7

What is your greatest desire? We often read today’s passage and assume that it means God will give us whatever we want. It’s not uncommon for someone to talk about a prayer request and then add, “God promised to give me the desires of my heart.” But in context, that scripture reveals the Lord’s principle for purifying our desires and issues a call for devotion to Him. To delight in the Lord means to take pleasure in discovering more about Him and in following Him. As we do, the Holy Spirit aligns our heart’s desires with His, which positions us to experience His blessings.

When we commit our way to God, we allow our thoughts, goals, and lifestyle to be shaped by His will and the things He loves. In other words, we acknowledge His right to determine whether our longing fits His plan. If we rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, we can rely on Him to work out circumstances, even when the desire He’s given us seems impossible. When He is our first love, our heart becomes focused on making His glory known with our life.

God wants to give us our heart’s desires in His time, when we’re aligned with His will. As we learn to enjoy Him for who He is, our self-focused wants are replaced by His perfect will and purpose for us.

When we commit to time in the Word, our faith deepens and our love grows.

Psalm 119:105-112

No matter how busy life gets, we make time for what’s important to us. And of course, the wisest thing to do is to prioritize the things God values—such as reading His Word.

Here’s a little exercise that can help you realize there’s time in your day for Scripture. Photocopy the book of Philippians, cut it into sections, and tape it over the columns of your newspaper. All it will take up is three columns. The point is, if we take the time to read our favorite parts of the newspaper or scan the headlines on the internet, we can—in the same amount of time—read the entire book of Philippians.

So why not start there? Open your Bible to Philippians and ask the Lord to speak to you. As you read, pray over words that the Holy Spirit draws to your attention, and listen for whatever the Lord wants to say to you.

Praying through a book elevates spiritual life to a new level. You’ll find yourself wanting to progress past an elementary understanding of the faith. What’s more, you’ll increasingly want to be obedient to what you’re reading, because you’ll be falling deeper in love with the book’s Author.

It’s true that the Lord loves all people and that He adopts believers as His sons and daughters. But even richer blessings await those who keep His commands (John 14:21), because they will understand more about God and His ways.

We don’t obey God to prove our love, but when we love Him, we want to obey Him more and more.

John 14:15-24

It’s easy to say we love God, but are you showing by your deeds that you love Him? The old adage is true: Actions speak louder than words.

The measure of our love is obedience to God’s commands and principles. In fact, Jesus stressed that very point three times in today’s Bible passage (vv. 15, 21, 23). This wasn’t a new concept for the disciples either. They would have been familiar with the scriptural connection between love and obedience (Nehemiah 1:5; Daniel 9:4). In fact, God has always emphasized that the way to show our devotion is by doing what He says (Deuteronomy 8:11; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 13:3-4).

Halfhearted commitment can look pretty good to others, but God knows the difference. A preacher could preach a thousand sermons without loving God. And as believers, we may lift hands in worship, support missions, and say the right words. But unless we’re following the commands from God’s Word, the most we’re showing Him is lukewarm affection. Works prove nothing. Loving the Lord means obeying Him.

We are wise, therefore, to follow the Lord’s instructions to Joshua—that is, to meditate on Scripture day and night (Joshua 1:8). Reading from the Bible daily helps us know how to obey—that is the only way to stay faithful and show the Father our love.