How to Fulfill Our Heart's Desires
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September 12, 2010 |
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 "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
Many new believers who have just begun attending church receive their heart's desires. A few of them seek God in their good consciences, while many others seek the answers to various problems including diseases that cannot be cured with modern medicines; conflicts and discord at home or between parents and children; and difficulties in work and businesses.
Some believers receive their heart's desires shortly after they pray, and overflow with thanks and joy. Others do not receive answers even long after they began to pray. Some others fail to understand the love of God, so that they give up praying and end up leaving God.
God is almighty and all-knowing and abounds in love. He takes delight in giving answers to His children who ask by faith. What then is the reason that some believers fail to receive their heart's desires from God? It is because they have little knowledge of themselves and the laws concerning receiving answers from God. What should we do in order to fulfill our heart's desires?
1. We Have to Examine Our Characters of the Heart
In order to receive answers and fulfill our heart's desires, first of all, we have to clearly believe without doubt in the absolute almightiness of God. We have to examine whether we really believe God from the heart, or whether we may be just expecting accidental answers because we do not fully believe but instead have doubts.
Many people worship idols and trust in themselves before they come to know Jesus Christ. That's why when they meet with various trials and afflictions they try their best to solve those problems through idols or with their own abilities. It is only after they are stuck within irresolvable limitations due to those problems and are at a loss that they finally come to God and ask for His help. It really means they come before God just with an expectation of accidental good-fortune-healing rather than to rely on the power of God the Almighty.
God the Creator and the Almighty governs the universe and everything in it. He governs and manages the history, death and life, woes and blessings of mankind. He searches even the depths of each one's heart. Anyone who wants to come to God and receive his heart's desires should throw away doubt and all hope for an accidental healing. He must then ask of God by faith instead. He has to ask for anything with the assurance of God's answer. Then, God is pleased with that faith and gives answers to one's heart's desires.
2. We Have to Examine the Assurance of Salvation and Measure Our Level of Faith.
Today there are many churchgoers who are wandering about with spiritual thirst and distress. Many don't have the assurance of salvation despite decades of years of faith. In such thirst, distress and lack of assurance, how could it be possible for them to please God and receive their heart's desires from Him?
Romans 10:10 reads, "For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." If we open our heart and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit as a free gift of God and we receive the right to become the children of God. However, only when we confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is the Savior and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, can we have the assurance of salvation.
With the true faith in our heart we can act by the will of God and receive our heart's desires from Him. Jesus said in John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Even if we have obtained the right to become the children of God and have the assurance of salvation, if we do not act according to His will, we can neither be deemed right in His sight nor can we receive our heart's desires.
To fulfill our heart's desires, above all, we have to discover the walls of sin built against God, repent of and turn away from them. If we do not repent and turn back from the sins that have been revealed to us, we cannot receive answers from God. So, in the assurance of our salvation, when we destroy the walls of sin and do the will of God, we can fulfill our heart's desires.
3. We Have to Show the Deeds of Faith that Please God.
After we acknowledge God the Creator and accept Jesus Christ, we can understand the heart of God as much as we make our spiritual bread of the truth. A little child is not able to understand how to please her parents, but as time passes she comes to understand what it is to please them. She then tries to do the things that please them according to her love for them. In the same way, the children of God can please Him as much as they understand, make their spiritual bread of, and practice the truth.
Many biblical figures tell us how they pleased God and fulfilled their heart's desires. Abraham always sought peace with everyone and accomplished sanctification, and served God with all his heart, mind, soul and sincerity. Because he believed God would be able to bring back a dead person to life, he never got involved in any fleshly thought but completely obeyed the command of God telling him to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. This obedience of faith pleased God and he received the blessing of 'The LORD Will Provide' and he is also called the 'Father of Faith.'
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