Recently, I read an article by Rev. John Piper. Throughout his life, he has continually exhorted people to desire God. In this particular article, however, he spoke about the greatest enemy of this generation’s desire for God. He pointed out that today, that enemy is not obvious poison, but “apple pie”—not a feast openly laid out by Satan, but people lingering again and again at the table of the world; not clearly labeled pornographic or violent videos, but people being drawn away every waking hour by meaningless, trivial things (such as all kinds of short online videos); not being corrupted by blatant evil, but indulging in worldly pleasures until death… All these things replace our desire for God, causing our hearts to wither and our souls to slowly die.

        If the desire of a Christian’s life is not to gain the Lord, we will inevitably be drawn to all kinds of dazzling things in the world. We will then turn our desire toward the world’s “apple pie.” If we forget that God is all we need, we will allow various greedy desires in our hearts to control our lives. They entice us to strive for things that cannot satisfy us. As a result, our lives dry up, we become indifferent to spiritual matters, and our zeal for serving the Lord gradually grows cold.

       The Lord said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29). When the Lord lived on earth, He faced all kinds of hardships, even having “no place to lay His head.” Yet He was always satisfied because He had the presence of the Father. How did He experience the Father’s presence? It is because He always did what pleased the Father.

       Our desire for the Lord is not just an emotional inclination. It is also a firm commitment in life. Whatever stage of life we are in, whatever circumstances we face, and whatever choices we make, whether in our work or in our rest, everything is done to please the Lord! Such a person seeks to gain the Lord. Therefore, when Paul faced all kinds of suffering as he followed the Lord, he did not ask the Lord to take away the suffering. He only asked the Lord for one thing: whether by life or by death, may Christ always be exalted in my body!

       When our lives are comfortable and free from trouble, we can give thanks. But if we insist on comfort and enjoyment, wanting no trouble and refusing to pay a price, and therefore reject the Lord’s will for our lives and service, we will lose the very Lord who can truly satisfy our souls.

        A brother developed various health issues and prayed for the Lord’s healing. However, his condition did not change. Then he realized that the goal of life is to please the Lord rather than to be free from sickness, So, he knew he had to learn to submit. Through joyful submission, he experienced the Lord’s delight in him! He also bore a wonderful testimony among his relatives and friends. A sister suffered a relapse of an old illness and had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Yet she realized that God was pleased when she used her remaining energy to care for other friends with disabilities. Later, she led a wheelchair-bound fortune-teller to faith in Christ. God intends for us to be a blessing to others in this world. No matter what situation we are in, if our greatest desire is to wholeheartedly please the Lord, our souls will be satisfied, and others will see the Lord in us.