There is Wonderful Hope from God for you and me! Don’t despair.. this devotional is not to put you down or condemn you but to offer you and me HOPE and encourage us… if we find ourselves in that place! Read on…
“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;and give me life in Your ways.”- {Psalm 119:36-37}
If you shared with someone that you had no desire for God’s Word, would you be scolded, or frowned upon for it? Some immature, self-righteous people may even look down upon you while they puff up themselves, “believing” you are obviously not as “spiritual” as they are. They have their “quiet time” to read and read, go through their daily reading {though some days may not be able to tell you what they read but their goal was to get through it, “stay on schedule…” and yet miss the point, coming away and not knowing Him any better!}.
They May even gossip about your “fallen state” with others! What if you are going through what some call a “dry spell?
There may be many various reasons, some spiritual as 1 Peter 2:1 lists five of them.
There may be physical reasons like the dear friend who picked me up at an airport to speak at a conference several years ago. He had someone ask him “Are you in the Word?” He had been going through several severe treatments for his illness that wiped him out, physically and emotionally. I am sure the person who said that to him meant well, but it made my friend sink down into shame as though he was failing. I shared with him the question is not, “Are you in the Word’ But The Word is IN You! All those years of reading, hearing, the Spirit of God can recall to you…” It seemed to lift his spirits, as it is true. God’s Word IN us can be recalled by the Spirit of God TO us!
So yes, there are various reasons… but what I want to share with you to encourage you is if you have no desire for His Word, is to start with… GOD…The Author.. Tell Him.
It’s not as if He does not know, the fact you are even acknowledging it is God at work “IN YOU”- {Phil 2:13}.That is His grace and love for you! He hasn’t and won’t and doesn’t stop loving you! His love is not based on your “performance” but on the perfect performance and work of His Beloved Son, The LORD Jesus Christ on your behalf!
Note the Psalmist prayer and appeal…
Psalm 119:36
Note the Psalmist prayer and appeal…
“INCLINE my heart.” It is a verb- a continual work he asks from God. He asks God to create, and bring about something new which he cannot do himself. He appeals to God. It is a verb…not a one-time event. That may involve changing the INCLINATIONS he already has, as may be the case for you and me also. We are inclined towards certain things, some may be good, not so good, some sin, some not…. we all have DESIRES and the Psalmist wants GOD, The Author of HIS Word to incline his heart towards His WORD!
God is whom he Appeals to, FOR GOD alone can INCLINE the DESIRES and DIRECTION of his heart… as He can FOR you and me! That is GREAT NEWS, Encouraging news. HOPE inspiring Confident News.
We can go to GOD and know from God He will do it. for it is His delight, desire, and design for us!
He asks God to Incline his heart….to DESIRE His Word! What a great prayer and he asks the Right PERSON to do it. For God is able and God DELIGHTS to do so. What a good Prayer for yourself… and maybe you could pray it for other people, “LORD, INCLINE________ their heart towards Your Testimonies and not gain”-{Psalm 119:36} One translation says “TURN MY HEART TOWARDS…” He asks God to turn His heart.. in the direction of His Word! To turn to implies it must be turned away from!
This is a Good prayer for you, me, today and to pray it for others. Asking God to do what only He can do, Change our DESIRES and the DIRECTION of our Heart…. and we can count on Him being faithful to do so!
The Psalmist acknowledges it is a work of God. It is a gift from God. His Grace. We ask Him, we look to Him and we know He will be faithful to fulfill this request since He has generated it in our heart in the first place, For It is God who works “IN You” for His own good pleasure”-{Phil 2:13} He delights to work “in” us!
Be encouraged the LORD is for you -{Read Rom 8:31}…. and if we ask anything according to His Will not only will He hear us but promises to answer that prayer…{Read 1 John 5:14-15}. Personalize the Verse, “LORD, INCLINE {Turn my heart, desires} to Your Testimonies. And not to Selfish gain,”
PRAYER… “Incline my Heart to…
Desire Your Word – {Ps 119:36}
Delight in Your Word – {Ps 1:2}
Do Your Word – {James 1:22}
Declare Your Word –{Philippians 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:3-5}
Memorize, Meditate, pray for yourself and others and share…. Psalm 119:36}
“INCLINE MY HEART TOWARDS YOUR TESTIMONIES AND NOT TO SELFISH GAIN”- {Psalm 119:36}
Be encouraged,
God Bless,
Aidan