God's Desires

If you need wisdom,

 ask our generous God, 

and he will give it to you. 

He will not rebuke you for asking.

 But when you ask him,

 be sure that your faith is in God alone.

 James 1:5,6

God has certain desires for his children. He wants to see us happy and fulfilled.  He wants us to prosper.  He wants us to experience his peace and rest.  He doesn't want us to be worried, harassed and frantic. He wants us to experience a sense of calm and security.

There are many things that try to rob us of these gifts. Sometimes, the stresses and strains of life cause us to look for relief in the wrong places, places that can never satisfy.  If we have a need, we should come to our generous God and ask.  He is the one who can give us all that we lack.  He wants us to come.  He wants us to ask.  He wants us to rest.  It is his joy, his good pleasure, to supply all of our needs.

What are you concerned about today?  Tell God about it.  He cares about you. He wants all of your needs to be supplied. He is not surprised by anything that has happened to you.  Put it into his hands and rest it there.

In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled,

 only plenteousness that desires to give.*

*C.S. Lewis (1996). “Joyful Christian”, p.195, Simon and Schuster ppl

The Joy of His Presence

For the joy that lay before him,

 he endured the cross,

 despising the shame,

 and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

Let's take time today to rest in his presence.  In his presence is fullness of joy. 

Joy comes from relationship with God and others. Because God wanted to have the joy of our company, Jesus endured a painful death.  Now we have a place in his presence. 

Some days we feel far away because of fear or guilt. Yet, he is still the same.  He is still there. Oh, for the return of those days of blessedness when we feel his presence - the warmth, peace and calm assurance.  It makes it so much easier for us to give the gift of loving presence away to others when we are experiencing it ourselves.

Lord, thank you today for the gift of your presence, for the gift of communion and fellowship.  I am so happy that you want to be with me.

Today, even if I have feelings of guilt or fear, may I still acknowledge that you are here.  Set me free so that I may come again into your presence where I can experience full fellowship with you and give it away to others.  Amen.

You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence 

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalms 16:11 NLT