C. S. Lewis once said, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” 

Is your joy full? If not, maybe it’s because you “desire” too little. Consider King David.  He wrote in the 23 Psalm that his cup was running over. Running over with what? With joy.  He also wrote these words in Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Whereas other men of his time were trying to suppress their emotions, David reveled in his emotions. He danced before the Lord. He expressed his love for Jonathan with laughter and tears. He poured out his emotions in lyric, poetry, and music. David was a man of passion, desire, and animated emotions.  

In his book, Choice, Desire, and the Will of God (

 The title of my sermon is “Delight Thyself.” I want you to know that having desires is a good thing, and not something of shame. Again, in the words of C. S. Lewis, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” Although the New Testament records twice as many negative references to desire as there are positive ones, the message is not that we suppress our desires for holiness but rightly align and direct them to God. It’s okay to desire a relationship, but desire a wholesome and godly relationship. It’s okay to desire abundance in finances, just make sure you give to God first and bless others in the overflow. In today’s sermon, I want to share with you a number of positive things about human desires.  What is positive about our desires? For one, desire motivates us to seek out relationships. No man is an island. Man was not created to stand alone. As a matter of fact Adam enjoyed the presence of God in the Garden of Eden, but it was God himself who said that it was not good that man should be alone. Adam’s desire for a mate was something the presence of God couldn’t satisfy. There is a story told of a man who found courage to say in a Christian prayer group how lonely he often felt. ‘But Jesus is your friend,’ said one well-meaning group member. ‘Jesus doesn’t play golf!’ was his reply. 

I especially like the story about the little boy who feared the thunder storm. At the crack of thunder, the little boy would cry out from his bedroom, “Momma! I’m scared.” After awhile, the Mother grew weary of comforting the little guy and said, “Son, there is nothing to be fearful of. Jesus is here with you, watching over you.” To which the boy replied, “I know that Momma, but I need somebody with skin on.” 

Adam ached for something, not really knowing what he yearned for. God knew what he needed and provided a help-mate with skin on. Her name was Eve, the mother of all humanity. And his longing was satisfied in relationship with his mate.

II. 

What is positive about one’s desires? If presented before God with all patience, our desires will keep us from the trivial things of life. The Bible is full of exhortations to ‘wait.’ The real and deep desire will endure and even deepen through waiting. Passing enthusiasms will be seen for what they were. This needs patience. The willingness to wait acknowledges that our desires are dependent on other people, on circumstances and on God for their fulfillment. Waiting exposes us to where our appetites have become compulsions or addictions. Waiting helps us to digest and absorb our experiences of life and to stay in the present moment. Finally, waiting confesses that there are some things so precious, compelling and full of promise that no delay will be too long and no lesser substitute will satisfy.[1]

The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried. The great

“The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!” 

Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God’s Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in

Every one of these missionaries had his or her burning desire for missions tested by patience. What am I saying? Had the missionaries only a faint desire for missions, they would have given up their desires long before the gathering of harvest. If God gave us everything we desired, we’d be bowed over and weary of life. By making us wait for our desires to materialize, God is weeding out the trivial wants and desires of our prayers. And that is a good thing.

III.What is positive about desires? Our desires can be redirected from disordered desires to wholesome desires.  The teaching in the Bible against desire needs to be understood in context. The urgency with which the New Testament warns the Christian communities about greed, covetousness and sexual immorality, for example, is recognition that our desires are easily misdirected and abused. It is disordered desire that is the enemy. Among the first Christians converts were many who had been living in cultures every bit as indulgent and profligate with desires as our own. Christian discipleship is nothing less than the tough but joyful reordering, redirecting, and consecrating to the glory of God.[2]

The late Trevor Huddleston, who campaigned against apartheid tirelessly and courageously long before the cause became popular in the West, once startled a group of theological students be declaring, ‘I want to impress on you the importance of learning to hate!’ To a Christian audience that spent much of its praying repenting of any capacity for anger or a judging spirit, this was shocking. Not many of us see our capacity for anger, let alone hatred, as a quality to be nurtured and encouraged. Yet the anger and hatred are not problems that need to be got rid of. They are emotions that need to be directed. Direct your anger and hatred against sin and injustice.[3]

In conclusion I reiterate the words of Lewis, “We are far too easily pleased.” God has placed desires within us. They are God ordained. They need not be suppressed, but redirected to what is wholesome and good. We should desire great and mighty things. We should nurture our desires by patiently waiting upon God to fulfill them. We are emotional creatures with longings for relationships, promotions, victories, and good success. God wants these desires fulfilled in us as well or He would not have placed them in us in the first place. God will do for us the “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon.

Pastor T.

[1] David Runcorn, Choice, Desire, and the Will of God, (

[2] Ibid, p.96

[3] Ibid, p. 96-97.

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