Be more like Jesus and make your desires less often about what you want. Today, ask the Lord to cleanse and refine your longings.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. And I have longed for many things over the years. I have longed to be able to use my paralyzed hands or legs. Sometimes I long for something more ordinary like a slice of something chocolaty after dinner. Well, Isaiah 30 tells us what God longs for. It says there, “… The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” Do you notice something “different” about God's longings? They are focused not on things, but on people. God’s longings are never directed inward. His heart’s desire is to benefit his people that they might glorify him. Oh, how unlike my yearnings are from God's! Too often my desires are about what I want. So today, join me today in asking the Lord to cleanse and refine our longings. And a good place to start is James 4, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” It’s the best longing you could possibly have.
© Joni and Friends