“When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He faithfully realigns our desires to be more in sync with His. Then one day we’ll wake up and realize that what we once craved no longer satisfies. Instead, we love what God loves.”- Bob Merritt
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is then one who takes refuge in him.”- Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
Bob Merritt concludes Chapter 6 of Done With That with the second action that takes us from the old life to entering the new life.
2. Develop new desires. Believe it or not, Pastor Merritt observes, some things we crave fail to lead us to life and peace. For example, impulses such as self-indulgence or needing to win every argument are never beneficial or good. Therefore, to develop new desires, delight in the Lord!
Furthermore, the author notes, in Psalm 37:4, take delight represents an imperative. A call to action. Therefore, you must choose to do this. Thus, as Craig Groeschel writes in Daily Power, “We pursue God with all our hearts until his desires become our desires.”
Certainly, Pastor Merritt understands, times exist when we find the Bible a less that exciting way to spend our free time. But, the author promises, if you stick with your reading plan, you’ll begin to see things in God’s Word he meant just for you. Soon, you won’t want to miss what God might say to you on a daily basis. In the process, God moves us toward the things our hearts have always craved. And, these new desires lead us to life and peace.
Finally, in The Road to Character, David Brooks writes:
“One day you turn around and notice that everything inside has been realigned. The old loves no longer thrill. You love different things and are oriented in different directions. . . . you reordered your loves, and as Augustine says again and again, you become what you love.”
Today’s question: How do you know that God faithfully realigns your desires? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Masters at living in the middle”
