Psalm 37: says to delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart and Proverbs 3:6 says in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
So all of us who have had the veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord-who is the Spirit-make us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
It is about relationship with the Lord. As we cultivate our relationship with Jesus, by spending time with Him, (because time is how we build relationship) we begin to see His love for us and because of His love, we fall more in love with Him.
The more we know Him, the more we trust Him. We can trust that He loves us perfectly, completely, and unconditionally. We have no reason to fear anything, because we know that not only is He able, but He is willing, to provide our every need and to care for us.
Love is not self seeking, it's not selfish. When we love, we put others first, above our own needs and wants. As we are being conformed into His image our desires begin to line up with His desires. Our hearts begin to beat in sync with His heart. So what was once so important to us begins to change and we begin to see with His eyes. We begin to lose our selfish motives and we learn to trust Him to work things out for our good, to benefit us and others, and to bring Him glory.
There was a woman (read 2 Kings 4:8-37) who had a servants heart. She recognized a man of God and she served him; she did this from her heart. She served without selfish motives and her service was recognized and rewarded. She delighted in her service to the man of God, it was her service to the Lord.
The woman had no children. We can imagine (from v.16) that it was her desire to have a child and she had reached a place of understanding and submission to God (v. 13) that her service was solely to serve and honor God.
I imagine, before she reached the place of v.13, of acceptance of His will and trust in Him, she probably spent time, and many nights, crying out to God for a child. When she did not conceive, she submitted to His will and relinquished her own. We know she did not become bitter or turn away from her faith because v.9-10 reveals the attitude of her heart.
Have you reached that place yet? Have you laid down your desire, your agenda, placed it on the alter and committed to 'not my will, but Your will'?
It's natural, when we want something, to try to manipulate things to bring it about. We plot and plan and obsess in attaining it; whatever that "it" may be. We may even deceive ourselves into thinking it is God's perfect will for us. When we spend more time acquiring "it," we spend less time on seeking Him to know if it's really His best for us. We hinder the supernatural move of God.
We may strive so hard to get "it" that we don't realize we are not ready for "it" when "it" comes.
(Romans 5:1-6) We can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We know that perseverance produces character; and character, hope. Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us.
When we align ourselves with God's will, when we can submit our wants to Him, and trust that He will bring it to pass; if the desire, vision, came from Him; then we can truly be conformed into His image.
Habakkuk 2:3 reminds us the vision is for an appointed time, it will come to pass. We can trust Him, if it's from Him, He will complete the work that He has begun.
As we can learn from the Shunammite woman, when she gave her desire to God, focused on Him, He gave her the desire of her heart. And when we know it is from Him, no bad report will move us, we will not give way to doubt; we trust Him.
It is all in His timing, for your benefit and to His glory.
Be free and stay free.
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