Passion for the Commander, Not the Commandments

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

When David spoke of his desire to follow God's will for his life, he was patterning himself after Jesus.  Jesus did nothing without giving full consideration to the will of the Father.  Both Jesus' and David's hearts were set on pleasing the Father.  Each complied cheerfully.

When we pass on food that we love because we have a single purpose of trying to lose weight, we are likely to struggle from the onset.  When we strive to lose weight so that we may have a happier, extended life to enjoy with our loved ones, we are more likely to sacrifice the pleasure of our favorite foods because of the higher purpose that drives our success.

When we seek to be faithful in following all of the commandments with the single purpose of avoiding sin, we are certain to struggle because our purpose is not high enough.  We must find our passion in our covenant with Jesus not in the law.  We must seek to know Jesus so intimately that we can enjoy His peace, His beauty, His mercy, His loving kindness and most of all His forgiveness.  When we have reached this place of passion for Jesus Christ, then we will delight in doing the will of The Father, just as Jesus delighted in doing His Father's will.  We will count it as joy to give up the things of the world for the glory of Our Heavenly Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son to come down from heaven to fulfill the law.  We bless the name of Jesus for His perfect obedience in doing Your will.  We ask that the Holy Spirit will help us to set our hearts upon Your law with cheerful compliance.  Oh Lord, we pray that we may take up our crosses daily with the same delight and pleasure that Jesus did when He fulfilled Your will for His life.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.