The Desires of My Heart
[This post is one of my Ten Bible Verses I Try to Live By]
Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorites. The NIV version reads
“Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you
the desires of your heart.”
I often feel this verse is misinterpreted.
It doesn’t tell us that once we devote ourselves to God He will bless us abundantly with those things on our wish list. He’s not Santa, waiting to mark us on the “Good” List; or withhold from us when we make mistakes.
Rather, it’s when we find ourselves lost in Him that we lose our sense of self-need, and He places in us those desires that benefit us and the world around us.
It’s not a sin to want a nice house, food on the table, or even a phone call from a friend. It’s not wrong to choose a fashionable outfit over basic denim. It’s the reason for choosing these, for making these our focus, that’s at the core of this verse.
God is not a genie in a bottle: waiting for us to ask just so He can grant us three wishes. What He does is something greater. He puts in our heart the proper desires.
When we are focused on the Lord, the little things come into perspective. Sure, life isn’t always a bowl of cherries. But knowing that my heart is in the right place helps me sleep at night.
Without Him in my heart, in my life; those desires could be meaningless. They could give way to other, less fulfilling desires.
I’m thankful for my desires to write. Cook. Tend to my house and household. Earn a living. Give back. Be somebody. Stand up. Serve Him.
And I’m thankful for the family and friends He continues to surround me with. Because my biggest desire is to love and be loved.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
