Beneath Every Step
There is a question beneath nearly every decision we make, though we rarely stop long enough to ask it.
What do I desire?
Most of us spend our lives evaluating our choices. We ask whether we made the right decision, chose the right path, or handled a situation well. Those are important questions, but they come later. Before every choice comes a desire. Before every pursuit comes a longing.
Desire itself is not the problem.
God created us to desire.
- We desire purpose.
- We desire peace.
- We desire love.
- We desire security.
- We desire to belong.
The question is not whether we desire. The question is what our desires are leading us toward.
The wilderness has a way of exposing those deeper longings. Away from the noise and distractions, we begin to notice what occupies our thoughts when nothing else demands our attention. Sometimes we discover desires we never realized were directing our lives. Sometimes we discover that good desires have slowly become ultimate desires. Sometimes we realize we’ve been chasing something that could never satisfy us in the first place.
None of that is cause for shame. It is an invitation.
God often begins His work, not by removing our desires, but by revealing them.
Trail Marker
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
This verse is often misunderstood as a promise that God will give us whatever we want. But perhaps it is something even better. As we delight ourselves in Him, He begins shaping what we desire. He forms our hearts before He fulfills our longings.
Reflection
If someone watched only your calendar, your spending, your conversations, and your attention this week, what would they conclude you desire most?
Would their answer match your own?
Sometimes the desires directing our lives are the ones we’ve never taken time to name.
Invitation
Set aside a few quiet minutes today. Don’t begin by asking God to change your desires. Simply ask Him to reveal them. Pay attention to what comes to mind. Not so you can judge yourself, but so you can become more attentive to the One who knows your heart better than you do.
Continue the Journey
This Trailhead leads to Episode 2: What Do You Truly Desire?
When you’re ready, join us on the trail as we explore how our deepest desires shape every step we take, and how God lovingly redirects them toward Himself.
First…
Then…
Spend a few quiet minutes asking God to reveal what has been shaping your desires.
