What does God want from us? or Does He?

I find this question strange but yet many times this is what people want to know. What does God demand of me? It is as though I am my own creator and what I have belongs to me. Does the question even exist in the first place? Or is it a self defeating statement.

Because if I believe God has created me and I and the product of His hand or His creation, doesn't it automatically mean that I belong totally to Him and that I don't have any rights of my own, less those given to me by my creator. Paul says it well in Romans 9:20 -  But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

But nevertheless this Almighty God, the creator of the universe, in His grace has given us the ability to choose to obey Him or go on our own way.

Joshua 24:15 - But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

What then does this  condescending God want from His creation. Very simply one thing:

Proverbs 23:26 -  My son, give me your heart.

But why the heart and not head?

The heart is the seat of the emotions, will and the conscience. Its the nerve-center or the operations room in the military  HQ. The  thoughts, plans and decision making process stem from there. 

Mathew 15:18-20 - But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person.

Its the things that proceeds from the heart that defiles the man. Its the cause for the down fall of man.  No wonder God is asking for the heart so that He can give us a new heart. 

Ezekiel 11:19 - I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

You see, when God takes control of our hearts, He puts in us His Holy Spirit and makes our lives productive, profitable, powerful and plentiful so that we fulfill the plans and purposes He had planned for our lives.

Matthew 6:21 -  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. When God asks for our heart, He is actually saying, "let Me and my ways become your treasure". I believe when I give my heart to God, His Word, His Ways and His Will becomes my sole focus. Psalms 119:14 - I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Psalms 40:8 - I desire to do your will, my God;    your law is within my heart.” When some one rejoices in something, he wants more of it. A person who wants riches is never satisfied. "Give me more", is always the cry. David compares God's law to riches. His cry, "Give me more" Has that been our cry for God's Word, His testimonies and His ways?

The one who has given his heart to God has not lost it but placed it in the best treasury, that yield the best returns.

My son won't you give your heart to God? He will take your broken pieces and make it a monument of a life time

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Sis Jenima Sharma - A tribute

Image
Sis Jenima went to be with the Lord on 14 Nov 2024, after battling with  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) for some time.  This is our tribute to her. It was in 2008, when I first met Sis Jenima, the wife of our Bishop Samuel Sharma. It was during our first trip to NE India, Jaigaon in particular. We were there to conduct a pastors' conference at the bidding of Bishop Samuel who had attended the Haggai Leaders' Experience in Singapore a few months earlier. This was the beginning. She was demure, quiet, hardly spoke a word in English. But she was extremely hospitable and genuinely kind. At that time they lived in a very simple house, with hardly any furnishing, all because of the call of God upon her life to serve the Master.  But one thing was certain. She loved the Lord, her husband and her two young children. She always wanted them to serve the Lord all their lives. She was a remarkable woman whose life reflected the love and grace of God in every aspect.  He...
Read more

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u...
Read more

25th Wedding Annivesary - Silver Jubilee

Image
11-1-11 - 25th Wedding Anniversary. Today my wife and I celebrate our Silver Jubilee, 25 years of being married together. How time flies. I look out of the window, the weather reminiscent of the day we got married. It was raining the whole day and so is today. How appropriate. Praise God for His faithfulness in our lives and for the blessings He has given us. Lam 3:22-23 - Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It has been a wonderful journey. Yes there were disagreements, quarrels, desperation and even "fights" but through it all, our love has grown stronger for the Lord , for the family, for the ministry and for one another. Jeya has been the magnet that holds our family together. Almost three months in a year I am out of country for ministry and kids busy in school. But she has always been the inventory holder that keeps reminding of the things that needs to be done an...
Read more