To Desire God

Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Psalm 63:1-2
“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.”

I still struggle with my stress and anxiety over the whole back-to-school time of the year. I mentally beat myself up often over what we should have done this summer that we didn’t and just wishing I were a different kind of mom than I am. But, I also know that most of those stressy and depressed feelings are lies. I love my kids and do want the best for them. And we are teaching them the things that matter. When I struggle with these kinds of feelings, I’m trying to remember to fix my mind on my God, who is the God of peace. He loves these kids even more than I do, and He will give me the wisdom and compassion to be the mom He has called me to be.

I have just started reading Desiring God by John Piper. I’ve heard so many people talk about it and about John Piper, but I had never actually read anything by him. So, when Desiring God Ministries had their two day online book sale, I ordered 4 books, and they came about a week ago. I can already tell that what I’m reading is going to be very good. It is good to begin thinking deeply about the fact that our chief aim is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If I really, truly believe that I can enjoy God, in fact that my chief and only satisfaction is found in glorifying Him, what a difference that will make in how I live. What a difference it should make in how I witness to others and pray for the lost!

I am also reading a little book called The Cross He Bore by Frederick S Leahy. Thank you to Doug, a.k.a. Gojira for sending us this four volume set of books by Leahy and published by Banner of Truth. I am using the first book as more of a devotional and reading it through slower than I sometimes do because these kinds of books take more thought than a novel would. This book of meditations on the sufferings of the Redeemer is also helping me to think deeply on how great a Savior Jesus is. What a great and awesome and mighty God we serve!

How I long to grow in my desire to delight in God, purely for the fact that He is God. He is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. How I pray I will grow more and more to live like I really believe this! Because I do believe this. And I want to have such a hunger and thirst for His righteousness that I cannot help but have a compassion for the people around me who do not know Him and so desperately need a Savior. In our women’s study on Wednesdays, we are reading about Paul, and yesterday I read again his speech to the Athenians about the “Unknown God.” What a passion he had to open his mouth and tell everyone he encountered about the Lord of All, Jesus, the King of all kings. I pray that this kind of passion will grow in my heart, too, as I learn to really love God for Who He is, in all His glory.