The Heart's Desires by Dr. Charles Stanley

The Heart's Desires by Dr. Charles Stanley  "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will hear their cry and save them.The Lord preserves will who love Him, but the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all the flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever."  - Psalms 145:17-21 If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? Your answer reveals a lot about you. The psalmist writes, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). There is nothing wrong with desires—they motivate us to achieve great things. But not all of our yearnings come from God. Consider your aspirations and what they say about who you are: • Do you hope for a position of authority in order to be in control? Longing for personal advancement in order to manipulate others reveals a lack of integrity, whereas a godly person craves righteousness. • Do you dream about wealth and fame? Perhaps there's a void in your spirit that you're trying to fill. But only God can meet the insatiable needs of the human heart. • Are you afraid to ask the Lord for what you want? Maybe you think He won't listen, but God tells us to approach His throne with boldness and confidence (Heb. 4:16). If the Lord doesn't respond affirmatively to your prayers, ask Him to make your desires conform to His will. Whatever you do, don't take matters into your own hands and go after what you want. There is always a high price to pay for rebelling against God. God cares for us bountifully, but that doesn't mean we can expect Him to deliver whatever we want, whenever we want it. Only when our dreams align with His plan for our life will He fulfill them. The thoughts that preoccupy us are an accurate barometer of the state of our relationship with Christ. The greatest desire of your heart will reveal a lot about you.  Do you hope for a position of authority, dream of wealth and fame or are you afraid to ask the Lord  for what you want? There is nothing wrong with desires for they motivate us to do great things, but our dreams must conform with His will.  Are you guided by your will or God's? Bible in One Year: Luke 1