Delightful Decision - Encouragement Café - September 14, 2017

Delightful Decision
By Judy R. Fussell
Thursday, September 14, 2017

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 ESV

A funny thing happened one morning.  On any other day, I probably wouldn’t have noticed, but on this day I had made a determined decision to get back into God’s Word. My relationship with Christ had waned. My spirit was suffering greatly as a direct result of neglect.

I was ready to sit and discern what the passages I had read regarding desire meant personally. I must have gotten up to fill my coffee cup or take a potty break. The next thing I knew, I had a hammer and nails in my hand and was moving pictures in my house.  I had to laugh.

In that moment, God showed me in a tangible way how I had allowed distractions a foothold. Little by little, my Jesus time had been swallowed up by whimsy (whatever called at the moment). My own desires and lack of discipline had served to dig me into a maze of spiritual darkness. A drought had taken place in my very heart.

We can so easily be trapped by our desires. (Proverbs 11:6) They can be a distraction choking out God’s Word (Mark 4:19). We must set our hearts on the Lord, immerse in His Word and allow the Holy Spirit access to our inner most chambers. Life is not a game to be taken lightly.

We are given the Word, the living sustenance from God Almighty. Daily, we choose whom we will serve. Only God can give the unfailing love that is the desire of all mankind. (Proverbs 19:22)

Let’s not be deceived or complacent. There are warring opposites at work in this life. God’s desire for righteousness is in contrast with the mind of sinful man. God’s way to satisfy His desire for righteousness is through the sacrificial death of Christ.

Once I accept Christ as a believer, I become a child of the King. The benefits are amazing! When I delight myself in Him, He does give me the desires of my heart.

Yet, as I navigate life in the here and now, I find it easy to be distracted from what is of true worth. It happens when I set my heart on self rather than seeking to walk humbly and obediently with Christ. I quickly forget and choose fleeting substitutes for the real thing.

We have spouses, children, friends, jobs, homes, cars, to do lists, TV, computers, Facebook, Email, Snapchat, Twitter, phones ringing or binging texts, and a host of problems requiring our attention on a daily basis. Life is busy and full.

Is it any wonder we find ourselves overwhelmed and distracted? 

The question is: This moment, this day, this week, where is my heart? Is it set on the Lord who brings true love, peace and life or on all the screaming ways of the world bringing discord and disconnection from the very essence of what my soul truly desires?

“For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.”  Matthew 6:21 NIV

Do you find that in the midst of your busyness there’s emptiness deep inside? Are you in a spiritual drought? Perhaps you’ve lost sight of the source. Christ is the Bread of Life, the Living Water and the Light of the World.

Let Him renew your strength, refresh your spirit, and illuminate your heart with His light. Meet Him in His Word. Talk to Him in prayer. Make it your priority. 

This day and every day, Lord, let us taste and see that You are good. Make us aware of distractions keeping us from the full life that is in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

© 2017 by Judy R. Fussell.  All rights reserved.                 

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