#3 - CAN GOD SATISFY MY NEEDS?

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." - Psalm 37:4

Can God fulfill my desires for my life, the way I want them to be?

Disclaimer: This article was inspired by the article on Project Inspired, written by Phylicia Masonheimer. However, I have added some input of my own. Direct sentences from the original article will (of course) be in quotation marks.

People so often tend to lean more towards worldly things for comfort, from sinful lusts to drugs and alcohol to music. We know God takes care of a lot of our needs already, such as food, family, shelter, and more. We often call these "the basic needs". But can God take care of my dreams and desires? "Are those needs, too?"

1) "Good desires are given by God; what we do with them is up to us."

Examples of this are marriage, motherhood, etc. Our desire for relationships is in our make-up and design. However, sometimes the strength of these desires can "cloud our view of God himself".

I never really noticed that I struggle with this until I took a look at my Pinterest boards. Yes, I know that Pinterest is harmless and great and all. (It's honestly my favorite social media. Cue the braces and nerdy glasses.) My Pinterest boards dedicated to weddings and children are added to far more than any of my other boards. While the numbers don't show just how much I love these two boards, it's true.

It's important, though, to make sure that you aren't spending more time scrolling on Pinterest than you are reading God's word or praying. We can't let ourselves worship these sites or desires, because in the end, God has been, is, and will always be on the throne.

Psalm 38:9 - "All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you."

2) "Feelings shouldn't dictate faith."

"Just because we don't feel satisfied doesn't mean God isn't enough. Our faith in God’s ability to provide should not be dictated by our circumstances. God is able no matter how we feel, and His loving heart is unchanged from here to eternity." He knows what we want and need, even before we know, because He gave us life.

Matthew 6:8 - "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Luke 12:30 - "These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs."

3) "Delighting in God refines our desires."

Our natural desires threaten to hide and take our attention away from God's purpose for our lives. Most importantly, it can cause separation from God if we idolize our desires.

James 1:15 - "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

However, our desires are advanced when "we recognize our God-given identity. They begin to reflect the desires God has for us." Our desires will be redirected as we draw closer to God. "We want what He wants."

Romans 13:14 - "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."

"When our desires threaten to overwhelm us, we need look no further than the cross of Christ." Jesus's sacrifice granted forgiveness of our sins, both then and now, and for eternity.

Psalm 37:4 - "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

4) "Satisfaction is eternal."

The simplicity of this sentence is my favorite part of this whole article. We will always be disappointed if we expect to be satisfied in this life. "The only stable, unchanging factor in this world is God himself." God is able to satisfy us forever, and He will do just that. Following His will won't always feel fulfilling right then, but He's promised to take care of our needs. Satisfaction is found in his love and our faith in him.

My challenge for you is this: find peace in the Father, and faith that He knows what we need and what is best for us.

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

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