“Do you see that as you respond to My call to spend time with Me, the ways of the world are becoming tasteless? At the same time, you are cultivating taste buds for the desires of My heart. The closer you come to Me, the less appeal the world and its ways will have. I plan it that way. I would have you observe, however, that fewer and fewer people in the “business-as-usual” church will desire to be with you as these changes take place.
"As We spend time together, you simply lose interest in going where they love to go, so they fall away. If your heart’s desire is to spend time with Me, if you choose Our time together rather than looking for frivolous entertainment, if you love to seek My desires over yours, you will find yourself on the outside of most activities.
"Fewer and fewer people will desire to be with you. Since you really have no use for their ways, it will be freedom for you. It will remove clutter from your life. Make Jesus your best friend. The closer you come to Him, the more time you will be spending with Me. It works well!”
II Chron. 15:15 AMP
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him [yearning for Him] with their whole desire, and He was found by them. And the Lord gave them rest and peace round about.
Ps. 51:6 AMP
Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
Hosea 6:6 AMP
For I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings.
Mark 4:19 AMP
Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.
Gal 5:16-17 AMP
16) But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
17) For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.
Rev. 22:17 AMP
The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.
The call to intimacy is not heard by many. It is a call that might appear to the uninformed as one that leads to loneliness, when the opposite is actually true. It is freedom.
The world and the cold church scurry to find ways to be entertained and fulfilled, rather than be with God. It is a plan of the enemy to keep them so busy that there is no time for them to have the intimacy with our Lord that is intended for us as His children.
People delightfully find replacement gods to serve at every opportunity. Most of these false gods take the form of “blessings.” The hard-of-hearing saints buy bigger and crave more “things” from God, rather than more of God. The result is that they must work harder to pay for whatever it is that then owns them and their time. Countless fellowships, Bible studies, activities, more activities, meetings, and more activities consume days; and when overdone, also destroy the desire for more of God.
Marvelous things happen, however, when you respond to the call of holiness and head for the bridal heart of Jesus. Your world becomes quieted, because your first desire is to spend time gaining intimacy with your Lord. Your tastes and desires change. You change. Ultimately, your friends change if you have any left. Your world is freed up to honor the things that your Lord and best Friend cherishes. Most of the time, you will do it only with Him. That is a good thing!
You design my world, Lord,
Jim Corbett
