Desires Of The Heart

by | Oct 9, 2017 | Commentary & Observations

I usually leave the devotional writing to Sony, but this particular topic has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. Perhaps some of you can get something out of it, too. (I’m not even sure this qualifies as a devotional so much as me working through some of my own issues, but carry on if you dare!)


“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3

Is this verse really saying God will give us anything we want? As usual, context is key, which means we must read on. Three verses later, the Psalmist writes: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

The Psalmist’s suggestions to “be still” and “wait patiently for Him” do NOT come easy to a naturally impatient person like me. I want God’s will to happen, and I want it now! I just have to remind myself that the wait will make me appreciate His gift that much more whenever it finally does arrive.

Evil neighbors can be a distraction. They may appear to be doing quite well, at least by the world’s standards. We should not allow that to get us down. “Thou shalt not covet” from the Ten Commandments addresses the issue rather bluntly. Also, further down in Psalm 37, we’re told, “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.”

It doesn’t seem like the Psalmist is placing a high priority on being rich or powerful! This why I don’t buy into the “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel that many preach when they reference Psalm 37:3 without considering context.

Considering the verses that follow, I take “desires” in Psalm 37:3 to mean that deep longing for something that is ALREADY God’s will for me to have. Now sure, I’d love to win a big sweepstakes, but I’m not going to kid myself into believing that God has ordained it to happen. It’s just a fantasy.

What if the desire is more modest, though? It may seem more in line to ask God for a new car. When I look at my present 10-year-old car, I may even be able to justify saying I need a new car. But no, buying (or winning) a new car changes nothing about my relationship with God or those around me.

The desires God places in my heart will benefit me in my walk with Him. I’ve said this flippantly in the past, but I truly do want to be a blessing. Of course, I can give offerings to mission work from time to time, which allows me to be an indirect blessing to strangers.

I want to be a specific blessing, though, and I want to receive God’s blessing that always comes in return. In God’s time, I trust it will happen.

This week, pray for God to open doors for you to be a direct blessing to someone else.

If you have time, pray that the specific blessing I would like to be will come to pass as well, and I thank you for your prayers!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Categories

David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray is a church music director in Ellenboro, NC. He is the author of Murray's Encyclopedia Of Southern Gospel Music and the owner of both SGHistory.com and MusicScribe.com.

1 Comment

  1. Scotty Searan

    I believe Sony Elise will be well satisfied with this article
    I enjoyed your comments very much they were enlightening.
    Just a few comments.
    ‘DESIRES OF THE HEART.”
    The heart is the spiritual part of the man.
    Jesus Christ does want our physical being and desires to prosper, not necessarily to be rich or wealthy. As long as person is being provide the needs of life they are being prosperous. We must realize that our wants and not necessarily needs.
    We must have soul/heart prospering first to have physical prospering in the Christian walk.
    Apostle John noted this for us.
    3 John 2 (KJV)
    2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
    But a Christian must learn to be content with whatever is going on in their life.
    1 Timothy 6:5-8 (AMPC)
    5 And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a [a]source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.
    6 [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of [b]inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.
    7 For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world;
    8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied)
    Remember what Jesus Christ said:
    Matthew 6:31-33 (AMPC)
    31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
    32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
    33 But seek ([a]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([b]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [c]taken together will be given you besides.
    I am guilty of wanting things or desiring things, but we may be wanting to assume it oour own own lust or covetousness.
    James 4:1-3 (AMPC)

    4 What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?
    2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask.
    3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
    HAVE ME COMMITTED OUR WAYS TO THE LORD?
    There is a point when you board an airplane, that as it begins to take off it reaches a point that the pilot commits, They cannot turn back. Have we reached that point.?

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Scotty SearanCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts