Delight Yourself Also In The LORD

                                                        When The Door Slams

THEREFORE I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.          Romans 12:1 AMP

        You might sometimes think that being a disciple of Jesus is nothing but privation and suffering, since several verses talk about dying to self and killing your desires. Let's be clear: Romans 12:1 describes laying yourself on God's altar as a "living sacrifice," and that might worry you since another verse says, "Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24 NKJV). You might begin to think that truly following Jesus is a life void of pleasure and fun. 

        Certainly You will be called upon to make personal sacrifices out of love for God and others, and certainly you must not give in to the sinful passions and desires of your flesh-such as hatred, murder, adultery, and greed-but you will have many desires that are perfectly in line with the will of God. That is why He promises, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 NKJV).

        So don't be afraid to yield your body as a "living sacrifice." Let His Holy Spirit have His way in your heart. Listen to Him when He tells you to say no to a selfish desire or urges you to crucify hatred, jealousy, and covetousness. He wants what's best for us, and though you will die to sinful passions and desires, you will truly understand the will of God for you life.

        Think about this: Where can we find contentment? Is it a result of wealth or power or beauty or fame? None of that. Genuine contentment springs from a peaceful spirit, a clear conscience, and a loving heart. 

        Our modern world seems preoccupied with the search for happiness. We are bombarded with messages telling us that happiness depends upon acquiring material possessions. Their messages are wrong. Peace is not the result of our acquisitions; it is the result of our dispositions. If we don't find contentment within ourselves, we will never find it outside ourselves.

        The search for contentment is an internal quest, an exploration of the heart, mind, and soul. You can find contentment-indeed you will find it,if you simply look in the right places. And the best time to start looking is right now. Contentment is possible when we stop striving for more.

        Renewal: In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.                                                                             (1 Peter 1: 6-7 AMP) 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries