You Can't Always Get What You Want

Desire

Desire is the essence of a man.

Baruch Benedict de) Spinoza (1632-1677, Dutch Philosopher and Theologian

Ps 52:7-9
Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and was strong in his evil desire." But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the loving kindness of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, and I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones. NASU

John Locke a British Philosopher said this of desire: “The discipline of desire is the background of character.” Our desires can be our salvation or they can be our ruin, and if they are leading us they will usually cause our ruin. Discipline of desire is the measure of many, but we have guidance in scripture to lead us. Listen to Paul’s words in Gal 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

As you can see God did not give us over to the desires of our flesh, but left for us the greatest guide we could ever have to keep our desires under His control. If you will notice, God says that we are to “walk” by the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit is being led by Christ and it is His eternal protection and leadership that keeps us in the safe paths and in places that provides for us our sustenance, protection and strength.

Our desires will take us out of these safe paths, they will lead us down treacherous places where we can lose strength and harm ourselves spiritually and physically. It’s important for us to see this one fact. It is not God that desired our hurt or harm; it is our desires that get us into trouble. We let our wants get ahead of our needs, or even the needs of others, and it comes from a selfish and destructive spirit in us that desires to have at “all costs.” James tells us in chapter 4:1 what the source of our problem is when he speaks to the church these words: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?”

Let us lift our eyes and leave the pleasures of this world behind; others have done it before us. Let us live and walk the higher paths, let us walk in the safe paths that please our God and not ourselves, so they can also say of us : Heb 11:16 “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” God Bless.

Pastor William