What Does God Want?

Do you ever wonder, “What does God want?”  Do you get confused when you try and carry out the sermon from Sunday and it seems that everything you do makes your current situation worse?  You pray, you read the Bible and yet it seems that it is not making the stark difference in your life as it is in someone elses?  Join the club.  Me too.

For one, don’t be fooled.  Those who post away their spirituality on Facebook or constantly say “Well, praise the Lord” to your face, often go home and mistreat their husbands, children and friends.  They can appear to be spiritual leaders when in reality, they are just as broken and dirty as the next person.  I have had a hard time not comparing myself with others, and it is an awful hurt when one of those I held in high esteem is proven to be just as human as me.  My eyes must remain on God not another human being. 

If we break the law in one part, we are guilty of all of it according to James 2.  The woman who seems to be the giant spiritual leader of the faith can be the worst in submission to her husband and may not be a keeper at home.  Her foot may rest at her job more than it does caring for her family.  So, get your eyes off of others and look at what the Bible says GOD wants.

I will start with a Scripture most of us know by heart:

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

In order for us to walk “humbly” that means we are to be brought low.  We can do this on our own if we will come clean with God.  We must admit (to Him) that we are failures during the day.  We must admit we can’t live without His help on the next step.  We must admit we are nothing without Him.  And we must AGREE with Him that He loves us and wants to help us with ALL of it!

We all like that attention and glory don’t we?  When someone compliments our outfit on Sunday our peacock feathers bloom right on out behind us in full array!  We think we are something!  When we get done speaking at a Mother Daughter banquet or Ladies devotion and someone says it was just wonderful, our heads swell with rotten pride as we receive glory DUE the Father, because He could have struck us down with throat cancer and taken our voice the week before and kept us from even speaking!   It is all that rotten human nature that we have to come clean with the Father about in prayer.  He KNOWS we have it but He WANTS us to be honest with Him about it so we can walk humbly with Him.

How can we do justly and love mercy?  Well, Psalms 86 tells us that God is good, ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to ALL that call upon Him.  So, I know I can call on Him to show me that forgiveness after I humble myself in front of Him and then I can ask Him for that mercy He is has in plenty!  Psalms 66 tells us if we clean our heart out in front of Him He will hear  and not turn away our prayers OR HIS MERCY from us! 

And you and I are to LOVE mercy.  Receiving it and showing it!  That is doing justly.  Judge what is wrong and be right in our treatment of situations.  It isn’t fun to call attention to a child for something, but it is right.  We must do justly. 

Psalms 10:17 says the Lord hears the desire of the humble!  And He will prepare their heart!  That means after we come clean with Him, He is hearing our desires of wanting to serve Him!  He wants to fill us with mercy so that we can walk with Him and prepare us to act like Him! 

So, what does God want?  YOU.  All of you.  He knows you struggle with the flesh you have to wear daily here on the earth….but He still wants you. Psalms 111 says God is gracious and FULL of compassion! Go to Him just as you are and see yourself as He does, covered in Christ.  You are His child.  He will care for your wounds, dry your tears and help you today if you will present yourself in front of Him in honesty. 

Shake off that pride that keeps you from confession of sins.  Release that evil tongue to the Lord.  Let Him deal with that woman/man that plagues your life and tries your patience.  Let God take care of all that today.  Let Him just fill YOU with His mercy, His love and His will. 

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri