James 4:6-9: He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

When Jesus took His disciples to pray for an hour in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples kept falling asleep. Likewise, it is sometimes difficult for us to find the time and energy required to seek the Lord. There’s a promise in Hebrews 11, however, of a reward that is given to those who diligently seek Him.

People who drink alcoholic beverages and smoke cigarettes have said that they had to acquire a taste for their vice. The body doesn’t easily take to foreign substances that can do damage to it; therefore, humans have to cause their body to develop a taste for the substance. I bring this phenomenon up only to share a much deeper and spiritual principle. You were born with a carnal nature that has a “taste for the world and sin’s pleasures.” Consequently, you must acquire a taste for the Lord.

You can be born again and very grateful that God has saved you from the destructive path you were headed down. Nevertheless, beyond your gratitude, do you find it laborious and a drudgery to get into the Word of God or prayer time? This was the problem that Jesus’ disciples were faced with in the final hours of Jesus’ earthly existence. Can you imagine how miserable they must have felt seeing Jesus die on the cross knowing that they had slept while Jesus fought His greatest battle alone in the garden?

Jesus gives us the reason why they slept during that hour instead of passionately praying. He said that their spirits were willing to pray, but their flesh was too weak. Why was their flesh in control of their spirit? Shouldn’t our spirit man rule over the flesh nature? Satan doesn’t want you to be passionate about God because he can toy with the weaknesses of your flesh and your weakened spiritual state to seduce you into temptation. He will offer you all types of reasons and excuses to prevent you from sacrificing the time and energy needed to seek God and overcome lusts.

Misery and failure don’t have to be synonymous with Christianity. We must develop a taste for the things of God just like we have for the lusts of this world. As we press into the presence of God, we will discover a strength that wasn’t there previously in our hearts or lives. In the presence of the Lord, there is strength, but there are also times of refreshing. How many times do we turn to the things of the world when we’re in need of encouragement and renewal when we should be turning to the Lord and allowing Him to fill us with His joy, peace, and life?

We’re instructed to taste and see that the Lord is good. However, if we never partake of His divine nature through seeking Him, then our spiritual palates can never develop a hunger and thirst for His righteousness and holiness. A hungry heart for God has to be developed by investing the time that is required to experience Him at a deeper level than just on Sunday morning. Begin today, to draw closer to God and watch as He begins drawing closer to you. Go after all that is laid up for you in the riches of His glory and experience the fullness of your God.  —submitted by Pastor Asa Dockery, US