"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4
We've all heard this passage so many times. There's even a song {or two, or three...} quoting it. It's a feel-good verse, and we like those. We think, "Yeah! That sounds good. I'll just 'delight myself in the Lord' and he'll give me whatever I want! Right?" Well, that may not be exactly what this verse means. So what does it mean?
I think that first we need to decide what exactly a "desire of the heart" is. Webster defines a desire as a "conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment". Note the words "promises enjoyment or satisfaction". This doesn't mean something that we think we want now, but later will come to regret it or grow bored with it. It's something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction. We can argue over whether or not this means a permanent enjoyment or satisfaction, but we'll save that argument for another day. :) Webster also defines a desire as a "longing; craving". These aren't words to describe a mere "want". These are strong words. I don't just want a child; I desire a child. I long for a child. Wants are a new TV, fashionable clothes, a cute nursery; material things. Desires are for relationships, ways of life, Godly wisdom; spiritual things.
So, if a desire is something that we long for, feel an impulse to, and crave, then how does that translate in this verse? Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but my personal interpretation is that the "desires of your heart" are those things that you truly madly deeply {to quote the great Savage Garden} want, and need. I know, I know - Webster's definition of desire doesn't include anything about a need. But perhaps God's definition does. And I interpret it that way because I know that God knows what I need, and he won't give me anything that he feels would harm me. {Jeremiah 29:11} Do I need that new TV? Probably not. Do I need relationships? Most definitely so.
Ok, so if we now know what "desires of your heart" are, then what is it we're supposed to do to obtain those desires? That's the easy part. Well, easy to understand; not as easy to do. Delight yourself in the Lord. What does it mean to delight yourself in someone? As defined by Webster {who, BTW, we have great faith in to provide accurate definitions, don't we?}, to "delight" means "to take great pleasure". So what do you take great pleasure in? Watching TV? Reading a book? Playing Farmville? Decorating your house? {Ouch, I just stepped on my own toes!} There's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in these things. But the bible tells us to "take great pleasure" in the Lord. If we're not doing that, how can we expect Him to give us the desires of our heart? He wants us to enjoy Him. Imagine that! Enjoying God? Having fun with the creator of the universe? Is that allowed? Well, not only is it allowed, but it's encouraged! Commanded, even!
Take great pleasure in the Lord, and He will give you the things that you need to provide great enjoyment.
Sounds good to me!
