“Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the scriptures: ‘Passion for God’s house will consume me.’” John 2:17 NLT

Try to imagine the fire in the eyes of Jesus and the flex of His muscles as He turns over the tables of the money changers in the temple. And He does it while wielding a whip He made Himself. “Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the scriptures: ‘Passion for God’s house will consume me.’” Jesus was the wisest and kindest person who ever lived. Additionally, He was the most passionate. And those who follow Him ought to be the most passionate people on earth. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: en and theos, meaning “in God.” And the more you get into God, the more passion you develop about the things of God. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). Yes, you’re supposed to crucify your carnal desires daily. But God doesn’t do away with your capacity for desire; He sanctifies and redirects it. When you “delight yourself also in the Lord,” you get a “desire transplant.” C.S. Lewis said, “We are half-hearted creatures fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us.” A pastor wrote, “Sin is a waste of energy…And it’s a double waste. After you waste your energy on things like lust and pride and anger, then you must waste even more energy on things like guilt and shame and regret. Nothing is more de-energizing than sin, but by the same token, nothing is more re-energizing than obedience. It’s pure energy.”

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024