A Heart For Jesus

  What do you need most right now? Peace, confidence, courage, assurance, strength, or perhaps more of God’s presence and glory? As the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:2 (NIV), “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” What are you craving? We all crave something, whether it’s sweet or salty snacks, acceptance and approval, or simply to feel satisfied, comforted, and loved. But do we crave the Lord as much as we do other things? In Psalm 63:1, David expresses his deep longing for God, saying, “O God, you are My God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry land where there is no water.” And in Psalm 42:1-2, he yearns for God’s presence, saying, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God…” Have you ever experienced that intense thirst or desire for something so much that you couldn’t wait to have it? I find the story in Exodus 33:1-23 partic...

“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Sometimes, the environment around me, causes so much stress I find myself looking for a way out. Negative attitudes, hate filled rhetoric, people not doing what I think they should, unmet expectations, and current circumstances that never seem to change. It brings to my mind Psalm 55:6-8(NIV) which says, “…Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”” ‭‭ I have definitely felt this way at times, have you? The desire to escape the drama around me; the voices in my head that constantly taunt me; away from all the noise. I start feeling a little bit like the prophet Habakkuk and find myself asking God why? Why do I need to go through this? Why do I have to listen to things...