THE DESIRES OF THE HEART

I have, over the past few years expounded on our rewards in Heaven, Matthew 6:19, 20. I have talked
about what we can believe for, now. But, I haven’t shown you or talked to you about what God has in
store for those who commit their lives to God. So, tonight I want to expand on Earthly Rewards .
The greatest reward that a person can have is to be given the desires of his/her heart. Now when I talk
about the desires of your heart I am not talking about a new car, a new boat or a new house. I t could be
for some people, but, I am talking about the deepest inner most desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (KJV)
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
I would like to show you a couple of people that put God first in their lives and how God gave them the
desires of their hearts.
The first is Job. Job was a man that walked with God and loved his family. But, fear crept into Jobs life
and you cannot believe God when you are fearful.
Job 1:1-5 (KJV)
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and
upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred
yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the
greatest of all the men of the east.
4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their
three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified
them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of
them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus
did Job continually.
As you will see, Job did this out of fear.
Job 1:13-22 (KJV)
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their
eldest brother’s house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses
feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with
the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen fromheaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three
bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with
the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the
house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell
thee.
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and
worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD
gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 3:25 (KJV)
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
You SEE?? Job had fear in his life. Fear always causes us to be less than we can be. Fear opens
an avenue for our adversary, the Devil, to attack us. So, this fear that Job had caused him to lose
so much. The rest of the book of Job is about how Job justified himself and how his three
friends, “miserable comforters,” accused him of sin. It isn’t until chapter thirty-two that Elihu
talks to Job and starts to straighten out Job’s thinking from self-righteousness to the
righteousness of God.
Chapters thirty-two through thirty seven are wonderful chapters of instruction as to God and
chapters thirty eight through forty one shows anyone who thinks themselves somebody who
GOD is. Then in chapter forty-two Job finally gets to the place of giving God the respect and the
place in his heart that God deserved. God deserves the same respect and position in each and
every one of our lives.
Job 42:1-6 (KJV)
1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood
not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:7-16 (KJV)
7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz
the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not
spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will Iaccept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is
right, like my servant Job.
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did
according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD
gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his
acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and
comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a
piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen
thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she
asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name
of the third, Kerenhappuch.
15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave
them inheritance among their brethren.
16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four
generations.
Job finally put God first in his life and God gave Job the desires of his heart! No more fear just an
absolute reverence and love for God.
The other man I want to show you tonight is the Apostle Paul. Paul was a man much like Job in his
attitude of self-righteousness.
Paul (Saul is his Hebrew name) wanted to be the best for God. He did everything that he could to be
God’s best! His schooling was the best. He moved up through the ranks of Judaism to one of the top
positions of the time, a member of the Sanhedrin. But, what he was doing was contrary to God’s will.
Paul was a very zealous person and he thought getting rid of the Christians was doing God a favor.
In Acts chapter seven Stephen, a Christian full of the holy spirit is confronting a crowd of Jews. But, what
he had to say didn’t go over very well with the crowd. So, in verse fifty-seven they had enough.
Acts 7:57-60 (KJV)
57 Then they (the crowd) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one
accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young
man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he
had said this, he fell asleep.Acts 8:1 (KJV)
1 And Saul was consenting unto his (Stephen’s) death. And at that time there was a great
persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem;
Paul continued his rampage against the Christians.
Acts 8:3 (KJV)
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and
women committed them to prison.
Acts 9:1-2 (KJV)
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went
unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way,
whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
Paul was a murderer, yet, one day he learned that the righteousness of God is greater than his
own righteousness.
Acts 9:3-9 (KJV)
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from
heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for
thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him,
Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by
the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Acts 9:17-22 (KJV)
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him (Paul) said,
Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me,
that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and
arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples
which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this
name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief
priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving
that this is very Christ.Paul went on and became one of the greatest believers that ever walked the Earth. Paul who once
was a murderer and worked to destroy the Christians every chance he got ended up receiving the
great revelation regarding the mystery of the body!
Paul’s heart’s desire was different than Job’s, but, God honored them both and gave them the
desires of their hearts when they changed their thinking and put God first in their lives.
God is no respecter of men or women. He does, however, stands by His promises and He
promises that when you put Him first He WILL give you the desires of your heart.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN “TO PUT GOD FIRST”
God has given us specific rules and guidelines to live our lives by. Those are in the Epistles. He
gave the Old Testament for our learning but He gave the Epistles for us to walk by. When we
apply those principles, rules and guidelines in our lives instead of what we think, our friends
think or the world thinks then we are putting God first