God is faithful. He will do everything necessary to fulfill His Word. In Psalm 37:4 of His Word, He gives us this promise:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
This is a well-known verse. It’s often memorized and recited. Perhaps it’s become so familiar that we’ve passed over the powerful truth it holds. I know that’s what happened to me. At least until God opened my eyes and truly I am not the same . . .
When I am sitting in my quiet time and focusing on God and His Word, I am confident that He will fulfill His promises. Romans 4:21 tell us to be”fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” That truth is as solid today as it was when those words were first penned.
So if God’s promises are sure . . . if His Word says that “He will give you the desires of your heart,” then why are so many Christians struggling today? Struggling with life issues just like the world? And why don’t more followers of Jesus receive what we want . . . when He says He will give it to us?
Connecting the Dots
Here is what God uncovered for me and I know I am forever changed. God is faithful, but there are conditions! And sometimes we’re missing out on the promises because we’re not connecting the necessary dots. Most often, when Bible teachers and preachers focus on this scripture, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart,” the emphasis is on the first part of the verse. We’re called to get more serious about our faith. To trust God more. To be more devoted to Him and spend more time with Him. All of that is good and necessary. But there is another element – another dot – in this promise that is missed. I know I had missed it and I’ve been a follower for more than four decades!
The missing dot is our “desire.” Again, even when this part of the scripture is taught we’re told to make sure our desires line up with God’s will for our lives and are backed by His Word. Again, true and necessary. But there is another way to investigate this promise and what our desires have to do with it’s fulfillment. And it all points back to us!
A desire is not a whimsical want. It’s not a squishy hope or a passing “that sure would be nice.” A desire is deep. A desire is something you are committed to pursue. A desire is a goal or an achievement you want with so much focus and dedication that you are willing to do whatever it takes to receive it.
Whoa! If you took that truth in then it’s likely that the ground under your thinking is beginning to change.
God says, “Delight in me.” That is a multi-faceted expression. Delight is to want to be with Him. To trust Him. To find joy and pleasure being with Him and pursuing Him. It’s like Your Father is saying, “Take my hand, my precious child. Stick with Me. Trust Me. Count on Me . . . and I will give you what you really want in your life. I will clear away the obstacles. I will bring favor to you. I will do my part to see that you reach your goals.”
And then there is our part . . . the desire. Do we really have desires? Or let me get a little up close and personal. Do you really have desires?
That’s the question I had to ask myself when God revealed all of this to me. Do I really have desires? What am I committed to so fervently that I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it?
Do I really desire excellent and vibrant health? Do I really desire to be 100% debt free and realize complete financial security? Do I really desire more order in my life so that I don’t feel frazzled and overwhelmed sometimes? And here’s the kicker: Am I willing to do my part so God can do His?
I don’t doubt God’s faithful. He’s shown me time and time again that He will come to my rescue. That He will lead and guide me. I am assured that He will do His part, just as the promise is written in Jeremiah 1:12:
Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
And now that the scales have fallen from my eyes and I am not longer blind about what a desire really is, then I have some work to do. I do want certain things in my life. I have goals. I have wants. And now I am ready to sort some things out and develop and establish my desires – those priorities that I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve.
I am ready to step out on the pathway, holding God’s hand, and pursue the desires of my heart. And I am trusting that He will be there for me. He will push aside whatever might try to come against me. He will show me His favor. He will make the crooked paths straight. And He will lead, direct, and guide. Why? Because He said He will give me the desires of my heart . . . and I believe Him!
