May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” Psalms 20:2, 4-5 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.20.2-5.NIV

Everyone wants the blessing of God. We all realize that life remains outside our control despite our best efforts to keep it under our dominion. We want health, favor, finances, peace, notoriety, and many other things, all of which we think will make us feel better, have more joy, and receive greater esteem from the rest of humanity. All this thinking, wishing, and working reveals that we think most about ourselves and desire to be the god of our lives. The Hindus have a god for all these things we seek, so they worship many, trying to get that particular god to bless them in a certain way. Burdensome is that religion trying to appease so many gods, but burdensome is the American life of an endless pursuit of money and pleasure to be happy and thought well of by society. In all of this, we miss our purpose. God created us to love Him and serve Him, seeking His honor and glory in the world. When He is first and most in our lives, miraculously, joy fills our souls, most of our relationships are at peace, and we find ourselves content with what we have and trusting God for what we need without stress. Living for Jesus by obeying His commands, making Him first priority, and seeking the increase of His devotion by all people is the true path to life. Jesus said that when we lose our lives for Him and the gospel, we will truly find them. So what do I want? What blessing am I praying to God to receive? The answers to these questions reflect the true God or gods I serve.