From Obligation To Desire

“From Obligation To Desire”

By Zach Wood

Psalm 19:8

“The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

This is a very encouraging passage from David.  Remember back to when you were a child.  You had chores, you had homework and other duties you probably didn’t really look forward to doing.  Not many kids I knew when I was that age or even the ones I know now like doing those things.  They are things we are told we need to do.  What kid likes taking out the trash?  I’ve yet to find a kid that does.  Okay, maybe I’ve met a few that don’t mind. 

We do many things, as we grow up through childhood and adolescence, out of obligation.  We have to take care of certain things we don’t enjoy doing.  Sadly, many times, this can spill into our relationship with God.  He has rules and guidelines for us to live by, but these are not for us to feel obligated to follow.  His instructions and commands are given so that we can experience the fullness of life He is offering. 

When we obey God out of a desire to serve Him and glorify Him, we experience a joy and light that is not of this world.  His instructions and commands do not jive with this world at all and at times we want to do another way instead of His way, but then we soon find out there is no joy or light in following those ways.

King David sure experienced a lot in his relationship with God.  He came to have a pure desire to follow and to obey God’s commands.  This desire was so far from feeling obligated or that he had to obey.  He knew following and obeying God was where true joy and true light of life was really found.  I hope that you and I today and every day forward will desire the same as David did.  Experiencing joy like no other and light like no other in our walk with God.