What do you want?

That is the question that we should ask the Lord.  God knows what we want because, unfortunately, most of our prayers have centered around what we want.  But we all need to realize that it is not about us, but about God.  If this is true, and it is, then what does God want? 

Mark 12:28-30 (NKJV)  Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” [29] Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

God desires His creation to love Him.  But how do we do this?  When I want to show my wife that I love her, I will take her out to eat.  I will tell her of my love for her and demonstrate it by my actions.  I can’t take God out to eat, so how can I demonstrate my love for Him.

I believe that there are three things that we need to do to show God that we love Him:

1.  We need to trust Him.  Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. This scripture tells us that faith in Him pleases Him.  Please know this…worry, complaining, and murmurring negates faith!  Do you trust Him even when you can not see the way clearly, when things don’t make sense, when it seems that all the promises of God have been put on hold!  Job had been tested, tried, and stretched…but in the end, he still trusted God.  Job 13:15 (NKJV)  Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.   

2.  We need to obey Him.  1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV)  So Samuel said:  “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”  God had specifically told Saul to kill all of Agag’s sheep, but Saul decided to keep them and offer one of the sheep as a sacrifice.  He thought God would be ok with his disobedience if he would sing a couple of songs and have a sacrifice.  God got sick at the worship service and said that He was sorry He ever made Saul king.  God wants your obedience more than your sacrifice…just do what He has told you to do!

3.  We need to worship God.  Jesus makes the following comment in John 4:23 (NKJV)  “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” God is looking for worshippers – obedient worshippers.  

A man by the name of Haman had devised a plan to eliminate Israel.  Esther was the queen and she was from the nation of Israel; she devised a plan to save her people.   She prepared the most unbelievable banquet for the king and she looked beautiful, arrayed in her finest gown.  The king was ravished by her! 

Esther 7:2-4 (NKJV)  And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!” [3] Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. [4] For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.”

When Esther the queen planned a feast for her king to give him what he hungered for, He was ravished by her and gave her whatever she requested.  Wicked Haman was destroyed and Esther’s people were saved.

How can we prepare a feast for our King?  What does He hunger for?  God hungers for our worship!  As part of the bride of Christ, we are arrayed in the garments of righteousness and are to prepare a feast of worship for Him.  When we do this, God will look at us and say:  Song 4:9 (NKJV) “You have ravished my heart, my spouse; You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace.”  He tells us to ask and He will give to us.  Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Wow…Giving God what He desires results in benefits to us…He is ravished by us and desires to give us what we desire!  Maybe we need to rethink our view of worship…3 hymns, a prayer, a short sermon and let’s get out by noon…I don’t believe this is the feast that God is looking for!  Let’s make sure He gets satisfied at the worship feast.

Remember, one night of favor with God can erase years of disappointments!

We love you.

Billy and Sheilah Daws