Devotions from John Ortberg’s book the Me I want to Be

Today’s devotional is on letting our desires lead us to God. Spiritual growth doesn’t mean doing what I SHOULD do instead of what I WANT to do.  It means coming to WANT to do what I SHOULD do. Jesus tells lots of stories about the Kingdom of God and his point is that when people come to understand how good God is, they desire Him.  When we tell people what they ought to do, they can take it like an obligation or as an opportunity.   The first kind of ought is a duty but the second kind gives life. Jesus message is mainly an ought of opportunity. We cannot make ourselves desire God more by telling ourselves that we should. God invites us to “taste and see that He is good.” He is saying try me and you will see that I am good. God gave us all desires that are His gift to us. They are part of the person that God wants us to be.  Uncorrupted by sin, desire is great and part of God’s design.  The Psalmist says He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him. God is a desire-creating, desire-satisfying God.