Have To Need To Want To

Have to Need to Want to

Psalm 24:3,4 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.

Any time I come across a verse of scripture that asks a question it always gets my attention. As I consider the answer that is given I can think of how to apply it to my walk with the Lord.

First thing is to clean my hands, this was always the case when I was a kid that had to happen before dinner. It‘s what I call the “have to”. Before we can come before the Lord I believe there are some things that have to be cleaned up. To me it’s the confession and repentance part, The “have to”. It’s a good place to be but we don’t want to stay there. No relationship will last if we are in it because we have to be.

Next is the “pure heart”, this to me is only possible when we make room for the Holy Spirit to use conviction in our lives. It’s what I call the “need to”. You know that feeling of God pressing in on you to move in a certain direction, that uncomfortable tug that won’t let us rest until we do something. “I really need to…..” A good place, but we need to move on. Again nobody wants to be with somebody because they “need to”.

And finally “who has not lifted his soul to an idol”. This is where freedom is, the choosing to make the Lord “The Lord”. We all have our idols that become the thing that excites us. But when we “want to” be with the Lord, now that’s a different story. I love when I wake up and “want to” be with my wife or “want to” go to work. It’s an attitude that when we follow this example can become a reality. But like my friend Carl says “Don’t get it Twisted”. It always starts with turning away from that thing that has taken residence over God.

When we have reached the gratitude stage we realize we “get to”. I “get to” be with the Lord, be with my wife or have a job. Thank you Lord for your goodness towards me. -- Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves on the full-time ministry team at America's KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 24; Psalm 35-36; Acts 25

Dig This Quote: God is waiting anxiously to lead each of us in the dance of praise." God is on a mission - a quest. He is looking for worshipers. As he constantly draws each of us into a deeper and more intimate friendship with himself, he is creating within us hearts that will praise him. Claire Cloninger

Determined Digging: Level 1: Isaiah 1:18; Level 2: Psalm 103:1-5

Determined Praying: I believe we are to pray and seek and ask and knock and trust God with the results. God may, in fact, be more willing to work than we are willing to pray. -- Michael Catt