Desiring what we don't desire...

One comment from Sunday's sermon that stuck with me is the idea that God commands us to desire something we may not desire. 1 Peter 2.2 commands us to "crave pure spiritual milk," namely the Word of God. I can relate to late-night cravings for Golden Grahams, or cookie dough ice cream, but these seem to come upon me, unbidden. My only choice is to relent and dive into the kitchen to obey my craving, or to abstain for the sake of my waistline.

But the Scriptures indicate in a number of places that we can cultivate a craving for more of God's Spirit, more of his Word, more of Him! Hosea 10.12 says
"Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the LORD,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you."
(see also Jeremiah 4.3)

I like that agricultural image (though I'm no farmer, nor the son of a farmer): our hearts can be fallow ground, hard dirt that is not pliable or receptive to God. We can prepare our hearts for God. We can ready ourselves for and develop a sensitivity to God's spirit.

Further, in James 4:8 we read, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." I firmly believe that, even if we don't "feel" close to God, even if we don't "feel like" reading Scripture or pausing to listen to his Holy Spirit, we ought to do it anyway, and our feelings (which we can rely too much on) will come along eventually. Faith that is based primarily on feelings of religious fervor is sure to be hollow and let us down as soon as our feelings change. Praise God that His Word endures forever, and isn't subject to change and whims like our feelings can be!

"For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,
'People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.'
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you."
(1 Peter 1.23-25)