What Does God Want?

I have caught myself asking God "What do you want from me?" In those times my own thoughts are empty and not very helpful, so I reach out to God through His Word. In reading Psalms 40 God spoke a great word to me and I need to share it today with you and it will be a source of understanding to you too. Psalm 40: 1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

These verses are so rich and full of King David's thoughts about the God he knew very personally since he was a man who was "after God's own heart." Because of Jesus, our relationship is close to the God David was reaching out to and describing. We cannot and will not minimize all that happened when Jesus died on the cross and gave us this close walk with God. So why don't we know what God wants? Because we quit walking with Him. God didn't move. We did!! James wrote these words in James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. God desires for us to come closer and closer to Him in our life and we can do that through the study of His Word and through an open and honest prayer time with Him. God is listening and it is His desire for us to come to Him to find out what He wants. David realized what God wanted and spoke to it in the following verses. Psalms 40:6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: 8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

If we try to do sacrifices to God we are bringing the game back in our court and it might make us think we have something of value to offer to God. But we don't, except the following. Hebrews 10:8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. The only horse we have in this race is what God has done, not us. David figured out what God wanted further in Psalms 51 and it was after he realized the great mercy God gave him after his sin with Bathsheba. Psalms 51:16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.

You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

I had a horse and I called Him Rex, and when I got him as a colt he was strong-willed. I had a direction I wanted to take him to and I continued daily to train him to follow my direction. On the the day I was going to break him to ride I got on his back and he did not buck or try to run from me. Rex waited for me to show him what to do and then he did it!! What does God want from us? He wants us to bow our spirit to His Holy Spirit and be moldable...like clay. If we will do what He wants we will be made into a useful vessel and the breaking begins the moment we bow our spirit to His Spirit. This is what God wants from us. Are you still a wild horse or have you given Him control of all of your life? Give him the reins of your life and get ready for a great trip with the one who created everything!!

Vesselogical Out,

David Warren