|
WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 2
7 June 2009
Desire the LORD
Alone
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, June 7, 09)
Text: Ps 73:25-28
Whom or what do you and I desire? The
people of this world like or love whom they desire: a model, a movie
star, a pop star, a sport star, a celebrity or a famous person, and so
forth. We have witnessed some millionaires who married a celebrity they
desired; but sadly, in the end their marriage broke down. They must have
been disappointed in whom they desired. Many others are also seeking and
pursuing what they desire: fame, popularity, power, high positions in
society, wealth, worldly pleasures and entertainments, all the modern,
material and luxurious comforts in life, but when they have got all that
they desired, their hearts are still empty and thirsty for something
else. King Solomon got all things he desired, even a lot of wives with
great fame, wealth, and a luxurious life, but in the end, he shared,
“all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under
the sun” (Eccl 2:10-11). Thank God for giving us His Word so
that we may wisely learn to seek God Himself, who is able to make our
hearts joyful and satisfied. Many have a joyful chat or interaction
with the people around them, but when coming back to themselves, they
feel lonely with a vague sadness in their hearts. Many are happy when
they get the attention and praise from others, but they are upset right
away when they are despised or criticized or when their labour is not
appreciated. Many are disappointed and sad because their life-partners
or their children are not as good as they have expected. Many have tried
seeking happiness in human religions and philosophies, but their hearts
still thirst for what is true, good and perfect. Many have tried seeking
joy in worldly pleasures, movies, music, alcohol, drugs, etc., but after
such temporary solace, what is left behind in their hearts are only the
emptiness and meaninglessness of life. The Lord Jesus says,
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14). Dear friends, the Lord Jesus
confirms that neither anyone nor anything in this world can make you and
me truly happy and satisfied. Only the Lord, who created you and me, is
able to save us and give us His eternal and meaningful life with a
joyful and satisfied heart.
Desire the LORD Alone
Asaph, a Psalmist (there are several
persons named Asaph in the Scriptures), had been disappointed and
annoyed when seeing others prosperous despite their sins and ungodliness
until he went into the sanctuary of God and understood their miserable
end (Ps 73:17). Then he said to the Lord, “Whom have I in heaven but
thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” (Ps
73:25). How about you and me?
Whom have I in heaven but thee?
– A Personal Heart-Knowledge of God: We usually do not
desire a person whom we do not know. The first step of desiring the Lord
is to have a heart knowledge of Him, the only one living and true God,
our Creator and our heavenly Father, and then love Him and worship Him
in spirit and in truth, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with
all thy mind” (Luke 10:27), and “God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24; 1
Thess 1:9). A heart-knowledge of God and the worship of Him in spirit
and in truth require you and me to be born again. Not being born again,
many do not desire the Lord nor His Word. The Jews did not know the Lord
Jesus Christ, so they desired to release Barabbas and to crucify the
Lord Jesus Christ, “for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8). You and I must make sure
that we are born again to have a heart-knowledge of the Lord and then
grow in His grace and knowledge. Truly, God delights in our knowledge of
Him, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man
glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these
things I delight (chaphets), saith the LORD” (Jer
9:23-24). Dear friends, God desires us to understand and know Him as the
more we know Him, the more we shall love Him, appreciate Him, trust in
Him, desire Him, and glorify Him. Do you and I personally know and
believe with strong conviction that there is only one living and true
God and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one Way to God the Father
(John 14:6), the only one Saviour of the world (Acts 4:12) and the only
one Mediator between God and men (1 Tim 2:5)?
There is none upon earth that I desire
beside thee – A Personal Desire for God:
the verb “desire”, in Hebrew, chaphets, has 75
occurrences; KJV translates as “delight” 39 times, “please” 14 times,
“desire” nine times, etc. Then, chaphets means to
delight in, to desire, to have pleasure or favour, to be pleased.
The noun of chaphets is chephets, which
means desire, delight, pleasure.
We love God because God has loved us
first. We choose God because He has chosen us first. We desire God
because He has desired us first. All is by God’s grace alone. Because of
love, God the Father was pleased to give us His only begotten Son,
“Yet it pleased (chaphets) the LORD to bruise him
(Jesus); he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure (chephets) of the LORD shall prosper
in his hand” (Isa 53:10), and “Do ye think that the scripture
saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth (greatly
desires) to envy?” (James 4:5).
It is good when we can say that there
is NONE upon earth that we desire beside the LORD, even our loved ones.
For single persons, if they desire the
LORD alone, they shall be satisfied and delighted in Him, and they shall
not be influenced by the attractions of unbelievers no matter who they
are or how beautiful or smart they are. They shall be contented whether
God gives them grace to stay single or to provide a suitable life
partner for them. Why? “in thy (God’s) presence is fulness of
joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps 16:11).
For married couples, if they desire
the LORD alone, they shall seek the Lord together, depend on the Lord
together, and trust in the Lord together. They do not expect too much
from their life partners, realizing that human love, endurance,
patience, etc, are limited. This knowledge will help them bear with each
other and accept each other without complaints and murmuring in
disappointment or dissatisfaction. Besides worshipping God together on
Sunday, they will maintain a family worship at home to seek the Lord and
His grace and strength.
If you and I personally know the LORD,
we shall not only desire Himself (Ps 73:25), but also desire God’s Word
(Ps 1:1-3; 19:10; 112:1) and God’s Day (Isa 58:13-14) and desire to do
God’s will (Ps 40:8), to fear God’s name (Neh 1:11), and to know God’s
way (Isa 58:2). Dear friends, God has great delight in our trust in and
obedience to Him, “Hath the LORD as great delight (chephets)
in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
rams” (1 Sam 15:22). Do you and I desire the LORD Himself, and His
Word, and His Day and then do what is pleasing to Him?
God Is Our Strength and Our Portion
My flesh and my heart faileth
(faints, exhausts)
– A Personal Acknowledgement of One’s Weaknesses: In
order to enjoy God’s strength, you and I have to acknowledge our
weaknesses, helplessness and nothingness so that we may humbly turn to
the Lord, depend on Him, trust in Him and submit to Him like the
branches to the Vine for life, nutrition, strength, and support. Paul
shared his experience, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not” (Rom 7:18). It is not enough
for you and me to know God’s Word and His Will but to have His strength
and power to perform it.
But God is the strength of my heart –
A Personal Trust in God:
God knows our weaknesses and He is willing and ready to
be our Strength, our Power, our Life and All we need. Thank God that the
Lord Jesus Christ is our True Vine, and we are always supported and
strengthened by Him and His sufficient grace as long as we humbly depend
on Him, trust in Him and submit ourselves to Him and His Word. Jesus
Christ confirms, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Dear friends, are you and I
experiencing that God Himself, a Living Divine Person, is our Strength
and Power each day whether for our single life or family life, for our
difficulties or trials, for our spiritual battles against sins,
worldliness, and temptations, and for our service or ministry to the
Lord? By God’s grace and strength we are able to love Him, obey Him and
follow Him faithfully until the end. By God’s grace and strength, we may
overcome our sinful nature, temptations and worldliness, and Satan. By
God’s grace and strength, the husband may love his wife and the wife may
honour her husband and the children may honour and obey their parents in
the Lord as God commands them to do, not because our loved ones have
something we desire but because we desire to please our God and obey His
Word.
God is my portion for ever – A
Personal Choice of God:
What is your most precious and dearest person or thing? Whom or what
occupies your heart? Whom or what do you think of, value and desire
most? Is it the LORD Himself? Our Lord Jesus says, “For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt 6:21). When we
desire the Lord and experience His love, His grace, His goodness and His
strength, we shall love Him, appreciate Him and choose Him as our
Portion, Inheritance, and Treasure. Is the Lord your and my Portion? If
the Lord is our Portion and Treasure, you and I shall easily count all
things but loss to know Him more, to win Him and to be found in Him
(Phil 3:8-9). Moreover, it is a shame if you and I do not want to choose
the Lord as our Portion while He has chosen us as His Portion, “For
the LORD’S portion is his people” (Deut 32:9)! Can you and I truly
say to the LORD, “Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I
would keep thy words” (Ps 119:57)?
Conclusion
Dear friends, neither anyone nor
anything in this world can make our hearts joyful and satisfied for
long. The Lord our God is our Creator, our Maker and our Source of all
joy and blessings. We shall never be disappointed when we desire Him and
choose Him as our Portion as His grace and strength is sufficient to
satisfy our hearts and meet all our needs. May the Lord graciously help
you and me have a personal acknowledgement of our weakness, a personal
heart-knowledge of Him, a personal desire of Him, a personal trust in
Him and a personal choice of Him. May the Lord help us love Him, desire
Him, depend on Him as our Strength and choose Him as our Portion now and
for ever. Amen.
Top
/ Back
|
