Have you ever done something you wished you could take back? Maybe you made a bad choice and wished you could have a do-over. I know I have a ton of times. How often do we sin and do things we know we should not do? Probably more times than we can count.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably envied someone and tried to get what they had, only to find out that it was empty. Or that you were pursuing the wrong thing. James makes an interesting point in today’s verse.
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. – James 4:2 (NIV)
Often, we do things that aren’t good because we don’t really get God involved in our lives. If we’d reach out and ask God about the things we want and the things that we’re unhappy about, wouldn’t that help us? I think that’s what James is trying to point out.
If we’d just go to God with our desires, and listen to what He has to say, maybe we wouldn’t go out and do the things we know we shouldn’t do.
So today, if you haven’t already, begin to develop your relationship with God. Go to Him. Talk to Him about the hard parts of your day. Let Him know how you’re doing. Ask Him for wisdom and advice. As you do, you’ll realize that your desires line up to His desires the more you know Him. Also, you’ll realize that He wants to help you and give you what you need. So lean on Him, go to Him and let Him fill you rather than doing sinful things.
