I purchased New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp several weeks ago, and opened it for the first time last night, turning to the devotional for July 10; the topic was essentially "want" versus "need" and God's provision for the same. The opening quote for the entry was "You once desired it, but now you're persuaded that you need it. Once you've named it a need, it has you."
Almost without realizing it, I've begun to (again ::sigh::) allow certain "desires" (or "wants") in my life become "needs" that are leaching away at my joy, contentment, and belief in God's loving provision. While I "know" God has my best for His glory and my good in mind, my deep-rooted "wants" have rusted this knowledge in my heart and begun to erode my faith in His provision.
Tripp writes:
There is nothing evil about desire. God created us with the capacity to desire...Yet it is very hard for sinners to hold desire with an open hand. It doesn't take long for our desires to morph into demands ("I must"). The thing that was once a desire is now taking hold of us. We're less willing to live without it...Then demand morphs into need ("I will...")...We're now convinced that it would be impossible to live without it. It is now in control of our hearts. We think about it all the time. We are fearful when we're without it. We plot how to keep it in our lives.Tripp goes on to describe how this need forms into expectation, which then turns into disappointment in God, followed by self-entitled anger toward him.
We can't believe that God would say that he loves us yet not meet this "need." The fact is, God has been faithful to all that he's promised us, but this desire that morphed into a need is not something he's promised to give us...Because we now judge God as unfaithful, we quit trusting him as we should and let go of our good habits of faith.God doesn't promise us earthly possessions, physical health, or relationships; He promises something much, much better: what we need.
This is an incredible truth, and one I pray for God's grace to hold onto. I pray for the strength to look to Jesus while holding an open hand to my desires -- He does not withhold any good thing from his children! In fact, the more we trust and delight in Him, the deeper He transforms our desires to align with His will!
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 (English Standard).
“…your Father knows what you need before
you ask him.” Matthew 6:8b (English Standard).
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:30-33
(English Standard).
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-35, 38-39 (English Standard).
