DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY April 8, 2022

Is It a Need or a Desire?

God promises to meet the needs of faithful believers, and He even fulfills some desires that align with His will—but we must not confuse the two.

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. …Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ``knowledge"-- which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6

There are many passages in the Bible that speak about God meeting the needs of His people, but we must be careful to interpret them correctly. It’s important to understand the difference between needs and desires. A need is something essential, according to God’s will for our life. But a desire is something we want for ourselves or others, and it’s often based on the expectation of enjoyment, ease, or comfort.

There is nothing wrong with a desire, as long as it is within the will of God. After all, our heavenly Father “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). But He never promises to grant all our desires. Therefore, not receiving what we want is no indicator that God is unfaithful! He does, however, promise to meet all our needs.

At the end of the day, two things are required to navigate times of need—contentment in every circumstance and dependence on Jesus Christ for strength (Philippians 4:12-13). Begin each day by asking the Lord to provide whatever He deems necessary; then ask for your desires. Let the Lord determine what is best in both categories, and be content with His choices for you.

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