Summary: What is the Lord's desire? This paper reveals some of the things that God wants from you.

The Lord's Desire

Well, my friend, what does God want from you? It seems to me that this is a pretty important question.

"O Lord, what do you want from me?"

"Well, my son, I want you to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with me." (Micah 6:8)

"Lord, what do you mean by acting justly?"

"My son, I want you to do what is right without regard to yourself. (Exodus 15:26; Psalm 106:3; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:17; Psalm 15) Do the right thing. I will never leave you, nor forsake you, so don't worry about how you will be affected, but do the right thing, because it is the right thing." (Hebrews 13:5)

"What is the right thing, my Father?"

"The right thing is what I would do if I were you, my son." (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Galatians 4:19)

"But Father, how am I to know what you would do?"

"I love you my son. (John 15:27; Deuteronomy 23:5)I love you and am with you wherever you are. (Deuteronomy 31:6)Trust me son, trust me, and I will guide you.(Psalm 25:1-2; Psalm 31:14; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 52:8; Psalm 56:4; John 14:1; Romans 15:13)I will show you the way you should go. (Psalm 143:8)

"I have given you my Spirit, to act as your personal Teacher and Counselor.(John 14:16, 26; John 15:26; John 13:13) I have revealed myself and what I am like in my written word. (John 1:1-14; Revelation 19:13; Hebrews 4:12) Read it and walk with me humbly, and I will give you the knowledge of me." (Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 9:10; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 1:9-14)

"O Father, I love you. I do so want to please you, but the Bible is so confusing. How can I do all that is in your book? It all is so hard."

"Listen my son, my Word is not hard to do; in fact it is light and easy. ((Matthew 11:29-30) You think it is hard because you think of it as a collection of rules, but this is not correct. (Isaiah 28:9-13) I only expect you to do what you know is right and to walk humbly with me and to love mercy. (James 4:17)

"I want you to read the Scriptures frequently, taking care to listen to my Spirit. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) I will show you what is what, and you must do what is right. As you obey me in the little things I will reveal myself to you. In this way you will come to know me. (John 8:31-32)Then we can walk together as friends, for this is the desire of my heart. I love you more than you can think or imagine. It is my desire for you to see me as I am and to love me and aspire to be like me. (1 John 3:2; Philippians 2:14-16; Ephesians 4:22-24)

"But Father, if you want me to see you, why have you hidden yourself? Why are you so hard to find?"

"Son, if I had not revealed myself it would be impossible for you to see me, but I have revealed myself. I have hidden myself, but not from you. I have hidden myself from the wicked and evil, those who delight in the pain of others, but to you I have revealed myself." (John 14:6-9; John 17:25-26)

"Why then, Father, is it so hard to see you?"

"It is because you have so little trust. Trust in me. I will not let you stumble so as to fall. (1 Peter 1:10-11)Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. (James 4:8) Remember always that I love You."

"But Father, how can I draw near to you when I can't see you?"

"Son, it is really very simple. I am who I am and if you love me you will obey me and I will reveal more and more of myself to you. I am love. (1 John 4:16) I delight in kindness, justice, and righteousness. (Jeremiah 9:23-24) You seek me, and you will find me, and I will fully reveal myself to you." (Matthew 7:7-8)

"You mean, you want me to delight in kindness, justice, and righteousness too; like you?"

"Yes. I am who I am, and when you obey me, I reveal myself to you. If you will not obey me, then I will not reveal myself to you. This is why I have hidden myself, that I might reveal myself to any whom I choose. When you delight in the things I delight in, I share this delight with you. I have filled the earth with countless opportunities for joy and delight. (Ephesians 2:10) Be like me. Love like me. Walk as my child in truth, and I will reveal myself to you."

"Father, what does it mean to love mercy?"

"Well son, when one of my children sins against me, and then feels remorse and is moved to repentance, and asks me to forgive them, I do because I am merciful. I want what's good for them. Because I love mercy I am willing to forgive and forget. Because I am merciful I don't really want anyone to be destroyed in judgment." (Ezekiel 18:32)

"So Father, you want me to always hope and pray, that my fellow man turns from evil, and that they will walk humbly with you?"

"Yes son, that is right. I don't want you to judge them, but to love mercy and to pray for the lost, and to act so as to lead them back to me. (Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37) It is not my desire that any of them be lost. (2 Peter 3:9) I take no pleasure in sending any of them to destruction."

"Father, what do you mean when you say that you want us to walk humbly with you?"

"My son, I don't want you to think in your heart that you know better than I. When I say to you, do this, then know that it is what is best for you; for I love you and will always lead you into a closer relationship with me.

"I know what is good, and you, my son, understand only a very little. Trust me to do good for you. (Romans 8:28)

"If you will humble yourself and obey me I will set you on high, but if you rebel and think of yourself more highly than you ought, I will be forced to humble you, because you are mine and I am unwilling to let you go. (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6; Romans 12:3) I love you enough to punish you when you stray from the path. I love you enough to raise you as my son." (Hebrews 12:5-11)

"Father, some say that you are hard and cruel, but I see you as loving and kind; why is that?"

"I am who I am, and I am what I am. Those who trust in me and draw near to me know me, for it is my delight to fellowship with my children.

"You, my son, understand that I discipline you because of my love for you, and so you accept it readily, and are quick to repent and obey. You are always with me, asking me things and our time together is joyful. But there are those who are slow to listen. I rebuke them and they don't listen. So I chastise them, to save them from their folly, and so they see me as the Punisher. (Psalm 18:25-26; Proverbs 17:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 12:1) "I am the Father of my household. I will raise my children to be like me, holy and righteous and pure. Those children of mine who are quick to obey, will receive many blessings and joys, but the rebellious son, I will watch like a hawk, so that they don't drift too far away."

"What I understand you to say, Father, is that you want us to grow-up to be just like you-holy and pure; gentle and kind; patient and forgiving; honest and helpful."

"That is exactly right. I want you to walk like my first born Son, Jesus. I sent him to be a Savior for you, and to show you the way of life, the way that pleases me. (Philippians 2:5-8) As long as you are walking in his steps you are on the path that leads to life, but if you stray, I will be forced to discipline you, to keep you on the path.

"I love all my children and I am unwilling to allow any to wonder off and be lost. I will punish, when necessary, but only because I love and care. I know what it means to be lost, and you don't want that-believe me."

"O Father, thank you for your love. Thank you for your discipline, because I know that I have needed it. I want to grow-up and be just like you. Do not let me stray from your path. Raise me to be a son that you can delight in."

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what
does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)

Exodus 15:26
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD
your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention
to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring
on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I
am the LORD, who heals you." (NIV)

Psalm 106:3
Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly
do what is right. (NIV)

Proverbs 21:3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable
to the LORD than sacrifice. (NIV)

Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (NIV)

Psalm 15:1-5
1 A psalm of David.
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live
on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and
who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his
heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his
neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the
LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, 5 who lends
his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against
the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content
with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV)

1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe
suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by
the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Galatians 4:19
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth
until Christ is formed in you, (NIV)

John 15:27
And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
Deuteronomy 23:5
However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but
turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD
your God loves you. (NIV)

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor
forsake you." (NIV)

Psalm 25:1-2
Of David. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust,
O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies
triumph over me. (NIV)

Psalm 31:14
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." (NIV)

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. (NIV)

Psalm 52:8
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. (NIV)

Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me? (NIV)

John 14:1
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God;
trust also in me. (NIV)

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as
you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul. (NIV)

John 14:16, 26
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever--
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you all things and
will remind you of everything I have said to you. (NIV)

John 15:26
"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father,
he will testify about me. (NIV)

John 13:13
"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so,
for that is what I am. (NIV)

John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was
the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the
darkness has not understood it.
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,
so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was
not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true
light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through
him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which
was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who
received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came
from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NIV)

Revelation 19:13
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his
name is the Word of God. (NIV)

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV)

Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth
come knowledge and understanding. (NIV)

Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge
and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering
and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.
This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (NIV)

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity
in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (NIV)

Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have
not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the
knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the
Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every
good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened
with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have
great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the
Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the
dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the
Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NIV)

Matthew 11:29-30
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)

Isaiah 28:9-13
"Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?
10 For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here,
a little there." 11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people, 12 to whom he said, "This is the resting
place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"-- but they
would not listen. 13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become:
Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there--
so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured. (NIV)

James 4:17
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought
to do and doesn't do it, sins. (NIV)

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of
God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

John 8:31-32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold
to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (NIV)

1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will
be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he
appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (NIV)

Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you
may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault
in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like
stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life--in
order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run
or labor for nothing. (NIV)

Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by
its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude
of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)

John 14:6-9
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you
really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From
now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be
enough for us."
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after
I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has
seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show
us the Father'? (NIV)

John 17:25-26
"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,
I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I
have made you known to them, and will continue to make
you known in order that the love you have for me may be in
them and that I myself may be in them." (NIV)

1 Peter 1:10-11
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the
grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with
the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances
to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he
predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (NIV)

James 4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your
hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NIV)

1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (NIV)

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of
his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich
man boast of his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast
about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the
LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on
earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. (NIV)

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the
door will be opened. (NIV)

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,
declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (NIV)

Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (NIV)

Luke 6:37
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn,
and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (NIV)

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand
slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself
with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (NIV)

Hebrews 12:5-11
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as
sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not
lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those
he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not
disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are
illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all
had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.
How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and
live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought
best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in
his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and
peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)

Psalm 18:25-26
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you
show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. (NIV)

Proverbs 17:10
A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a
hundred lashes a fool. (NIV)

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (NIV)

Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid. (NIV)

Philippians 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking
the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! (NIV)

Ambassadors As a true Christian you renounce your citizenship of
any earthly government and accept the
citizenship of heaven and then therefore
act as an Ambassador from Heaven
assigned to the Earth. Apostles and Prophets in the Modern ChurchHas the day of Apostles and Prophets pasted in the
modern church? The Bible says no.
The Bible says that that day does not
pass until the Lord's Second Coming.
Believing in JesusTo believe in Jesus Christ is NOT to believe
that he EXISTS, but rather that he is
the Son of God and therefore every
single word that he spoke is to be
completely obeyed and worshipped.
Bible AxiomsBiblical Axioms, that is,
unchangeable laws, that help us understand the Bible.
Born AgainWhat does it mean to be Born Again?
It is your spirit nature, that is, your
eternal person, that is born again and
not the flesh. The born again experience
is a real tangible event and not a
metaphor for something.
ChildlikenessUnless you receive God's instruction
like a small child does with his or her
parents you will never truly come to
know God or enter into the Kingdom
of God.
DoctrineWhat is Doctrine? Is Doctrine bad?
What makes for good Doctrine? These
questions are examined in this paper.
FaithfulnessWe must be faithful toward God. It is
our faith that makes us holy. All our
relationships must be faithful. God must
be our focus. We must look only to
God for our needs.
False ProphetsThere are many false prophets among
us. False prophets are deceived and they
deceive others with their own sincerely
held beliefs. False prophets always quote
the Bible. False prophets and their followers
always think that they are following the
Bible's teachings. Read the Bible and be
totally honest with yourself about everything.
The GoalOur goal as seeking Children of God is to become
like Jesus Christ. We must hang out with
him until we become like him. We must
have a true love relationship with Jesus
Christ. We must have a faith relationship
with God.
God AlmightyGod is bigger than ANYONE can imagine--
infinitely bigger. God can tell you how many
individual cells are in your body and the state
of health of each and every one of them.
There is nothing that God doesn't know. If
we will honestly look and think we can see
God's brilliance through his creation. The
world is not an accident. God's revealed
answers are found in the Bible--read it.
God FollowersBeing a Christian is not a matter of words,
but of actions. Those that call themselves
Christians should be following God,
that is, living their lives as Jesus would.
How to Become God's FriendA relationship with God is more than just words.
It is a relationship of love and friendship.
If you want to be God's friend then act
like it. Be the type of person that God
would want for a friend.
In the Garden of EdenThe biblical account of the Creation
of the world and of mankind as found
in the first two chapters of the Bible are
filled with spiritual meanings. This paper
contains some descriptions of some of
the more interesting aspects of those stories.
The Lord's DesireWhat is the Lord's desire? This paper
reveals some of the things that God
wants from you.
Lucifer and Satan the DevilThe popular image and understanding of
Lucifer/Satan is nowhere near the truth.
Only by reading the Bible for ourselves
can we come to understand who he was/is.
What is the Meaning of Life?What is the meaning of life? This paper
talks about that and also some other obscure
things, such as why a woman takes her
husband's name upon marriage and why
homosexuality is wrong, (spiritually).
Noble VesselsWe are to be noble vessels that are worthy
of a relationship with the Creator. We have
been forgiven of our sins through the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ on the cross so that we can
live pure and guiltless lives before God,
and not so that we can walk in sin with
a clear conscience.
RacismGod has accepted every people of
the earth and so must you.
Religion is ConfusingThis paper is about the nature of Christianity.
Christianity is not a religion. It is about a
loving relationship with the Creator through
his revealed image, that is, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is Our Role ModelJesus Christ is our Role Model.
We must imitate him and become like him.
It is through our imitation of Jesus that
we come to truly understand the Truth
and to truly know God.
Spiritual FulfillmentThis paper explains some of the secrets
of the universe! The Bible has many very
interesting secrets hidden in plain sight.
If you will open your heart
you can see these secrets and thereby see
the way to spiritual fulfillment.
SpiritualismSpiritualism and how it relates to the Bible.
Speaking in TonguesWhat is speaking in tongues? Is it biblical?
Should you be speaking in tongues? This
paper examines these questions and more.
Ticket to HeavenDo you have a ticket to heaven? What is required
to go there? What does it mean to go to
heaven or hell? These are answered and
more too.
Tithing to the ChurchDo members of the Church need to tithe?
Tithing is a part of the Law of Moses and
the Church is not subject to the law, however
we are to give. This paper examines the law
of tithing and our need to give.
Understanding the BibleThe Bible is a pretty bizarre book.
It cannot be understood as other books
might be. This paper talks about how to
read and understand the Bible.