The Desires of Your Heart

[Chad]

The Desires of Your Heart

by Dr. Charles Stanley

Introduction: Without desires, we wouldn’t accomplish much in life. What are God’s requirements for getting our desires met?

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-8
Our desires not only determine the direction of our lives, they also reveal our motivations and priorities.
Even God has desires. For instance, He desires for all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).

If something is His desire for me, it must be the best. Even when He allows suffering and pain, He desires for me to trust Him more and grow spiritually through it.

We can have wrong desires.

• The desire to get rich (1 Tim. 6:9)
• The temptation of worldly desires (Titus 2:11-12)
• Ungodly desires that corrupt us (2 Peter 2:9-10)
• Sensual and fleshly desires (2 Peter 2:18)

If your desires are wrong, then you won’t feel fulfilled when you achieve them. Ask yourself, If I get what I want, will that leave me satisfied or empty?

The Bible says, “Seek and you will find.” But God will only give you what is in His will.

What are God’s requirements for receiving what we desire from Him?

1. Delight yourself in the Lord.
   • Dr. Stanley example: A husband delighting in his wife
   • Spend time with God, walk godly, and ask Him how you can bring Him honor and glory through your daily life.
2. Commit your way to the Lord.
   • Acknowledge His authority over your life.
   • His plan for your life will be the best.
3. Trust in Him.
   • Unless you trust Him, you won’t commit your life to Him.
   • If you trust God, you will obey Him.
   • If God doesn’t answer your prayers, trust that He has a good reason.
   • When you manipulate and sacrifice for wrong desires, you won’t enjoy them as much when you get there.
4. Rest in the Lord.
   • Resting is the opposite of fretting.
   • Fully depend on Him.
   • You still need to do your part, but the difference is you are relying on God, not your ability.
   • When you fret about something, you are not in agreement with God.
5. Wait patiently for Him.
   • Waiting says, “I’m trusting You, God.”
   • Waiting patiently means we lay down our attempts to get what we want.
   • If we knew what God knows, we’d be willing to say, “God, I’ll take what you want to give.”

Closing: Those who are willing to wait patiently get the best. Ask yourself, Am I manipulating, murmuring, arguing, complaining, or am I willing to say “no” to fretting and simply rest in God and watch Him work? Be wise enough to let God give you what He wants you to have when He wants you to have it. You will never regret it.