What We Need

What do you need right now?

A job? Money? A place to live? Food? Clothes?  These are real needs that God promises to provide.

Now, think about your wants, desires. A man? More money? A better place to live? Nicer clothes? Romance?

My list of wants and desires can be long, I’m ashamed to admit.

What about justifiable wants and desires? The desire to do good things. Help others. Give more. Fulfill godly vision. What’s wrong with those desires?

Nothing.

Or the desire for a godly mate. For my children to be ok and successful. What’s wrong with wanting good things? Nice things?

Nothing.

God promises to give us the desires of our heart, right? Yes! We’re all familiar with Psalm 37:4.

 Take delight in the Lord, and 

He will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV)

Usually when we quote this verse we only say, He’ll give you the desires of your heart, leaving out the most important part, Take delight in the Lord…

There was a time when I thought I delighted in the Lord. Turns out my motives weren’t pure, which explained my continued frustration.

Like a child pleading with their parent, but I do what you want. I’ve been good. I don’t disobey you like little Suzi does. Whyyee?

Now, later in life, I’m learning (note the present-tense) what delighting in the Lord is. I think of Mary of Bethany.  She is mentioned in the Bible only a few times. But her name and story lives on.

One mention of Mary is when her sister, Martha, complained to Jesus that she wasn’t helping prepare a big meal for Him and their guests. Mary was too busy sitting at Jesus’ feet absorbing every word He said. She didn’t care what others thought. She wasn’t concerned with pleasing anyone. (Luke 10:38-42)

Another time was when her brother, Lazarus, died. Jesus showed up days after his burial. Mary tearfully falls at Jesus’ feet, blurting out, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Luke 11:32

There she is, at His feet again.

The most memorable mention of Mary is when she quietly, yet with incredible boldness, approached Jesus in a room full of men, with a very expensive jar of scented oil and anointed His feet. One gospel reports she poured it on His head, yet another says His feet and wiped it with her hair.

(Matthew 26:6-7; John 12:1-8)

Again, she’s at His feet.

When Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping her prepare the big meal for Jesus, He lovingly rebukes her, saying, Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42

Mary’s brother lay dead and buried as she fell at Jesus’ feet, exhausted from grief, perhaps feeling abandoned by Him. What did Jesus do?

He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. John 11:33

Jesus wept. John 11:35

Not a sniffle or a few tears and then man up. No. He openly wept. Even though he knew the outcome, He wept with Mary and the others whose hearts were broken.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

Psalm 34:18

Mary spent a lot of time at Jesus’ feet, learning of Him, crying out to Him and worshipping Him. This is where she found delight and her heart’s desires fulfilled. Not by being busy, busy, busy serving Him.

Jesus said, …but few things are needed - indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better.

Can all our wants and desires truly be met sitting at the feet of Jesus? Can what we need AND desire

both be met this way?

One thing I do know, when I sit at His feet daily, my wants and desires change.  

I change.

My unfulfilled heart’s desires shift to a heart of delight that I can’t find anywhere else.

I welcome you to share in the comments below how the Lord fulfills your heart’s desires as you delight in Him.

If you’ve struggled with what “sitting at Jesus’ feet” looks like, and don’t know where to begin, join me next Monday as I share how I’ve come to that place at His feet out of my deepest needs and desires.

Until then, stay the course,

Terri