I remember when I was a teenager my brothers and I used to watch what was called, “The Box”. The box was a local music television channel that broadcasts urban music videos. This was before the digital television when all of the channels were on analog which meant that at times if we hooked up an extra antenna or hanger with some wires to the TV we could get additional channels that we would not normally get.
Anywho, we had the television set up to receive The Box, which was a big deal to teenage kids at the time. My brothers and I were home-schooled, and when school was not in session we used the school room as personal space to pray.
One of my brothers had finished praying and it was my turn to go into the school room to pray. I walked through the living room where TLC’s waterfalls video was playing on, “The Box.” I remember my state of mind around that time. I was a typical teenager that wanted a boyfriend, to feel beautiful like the girls in the videos, and to be loved.
It is ironic that I remember what I prayed for during that day, and not only that day, but that season of my life. I prayed for my desires to become the desires that God had for me. I prayed for God’s will for my life, and for our heart’s desires to be one. Such a big prayer from a young girl unlearned. I did not realize at the time how much in line with God’s will I was actually praying.
An interesting thing to note is that the more time I spent praying in God’s presence and acknowledging him, the more my desires began to dissipate and the desires that God had for me in him began to become the norm for what I wanted.
Slowly, but surely I no longer wanted a boyfriend as a teenager. Instead, I began to grow a hunger within me for more of the presence of God and fellowship with God. Little did I know that my desires actually weren’t dissipating for what I wanted, but they were being hid in Christ. Now, that I am older I understand that God took my natural desires that I had and simply shaped them according to his will. It wasn’t that I was giving them up altogether, but that pleasing God and being near to him became more important than what I wanted.
What I placed my value on during that season simply began to change. It reminds me of where I am currently meditating on in God’s word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3
God uses an emphasis on being hidden in him to teach us what to place our value on. When we get into seeking earthly things, we can easily open ourselves up to corruption in particularly the corruption of seeking things over Christ. There is nothing wrong with having a desire for things especially God-given desires, but we need to hide those desires in Christ and in his will for us to avoid corruption. I have had many desires thus far in my life that have become unfolded and revealed into reality just by seeking and following Christ.
For example: My desire to write was accomplished through being obedient to Christ. The desire to teach young people about abstinence in public high schools was fulfilled through following him, and also meeting more mature and godly men and women of God. Even normal stuff like wearing cute clothes and getting deals on beautiful hairstyles have been accomplished through following and obeying God. I have so many testimonies.
The point of it all is everything that we need was given to us when we received Christ. This is why God’s word instructs us to seek first his kingdom and righteousness and all other things will be added unto us. Seeking Christ and keeping him at the center of our hearts is what is necessary. It keeps us from corruption, idolatry, and having things in the wrong season where they can be harmful for us.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NIV)
God is good. He doesn’t ask us to give up certain things that he has placed a desire in us for without the expectation that he will fulfill those desires in his season, but he simply asks us to focus on and look to him knowing that he is good and that he is who he says he is. This is what it means to delight ourselves in the Lord and we will have the desires of our heart.
That scripture isn’t a formula for God to play some type of a Santa Claus or Genie based on a few fake Hallelujahs and Thank you Jesus’. Delighting in the Lord is a lifestyle where our desires become hidden in him through rest and trust in him.
It’s ironic that the video playing on the box was TLC’s waterfalls which is reminisce of how a lot of us treat Christ at times. We have a consistent stream of all that we need in Christ yet we are off chasing waterfalls or other streams just like the world in hopes to achieve what’s already been promised to us in Christ. Hide your affections in him and watch them come to pass in purity and in glory toward the one who delights to give us good things, but most of all wants our heart and affection for him.
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