Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 NLT
The doctor said none, but he said some.
Like his father, Dad loved to eat ice cream—and did every night before he went to bed. At a certain time, he would make his way to the kitchen, place several large scoops in a bowl, and delight in what he loved.
Then he developed heart valve trouble. The doctor instructed him on what he should and should not eat. On the should-not-eat list was what he delighted in the most: ice cream. When the doctor told him to lay off the ice cream, he said, “I’ve been eating ice cream all of my life, and I don’t intend to stop now.”
Dad kept his word. He continued eating ice cream, though he did cut down on the amount. Instead of a large bowl, he used a smaller bowl. As he prepared for his second heart valve replacement—the one that would lead to his death, he requested a popsicle, the closest thing we could get to ice cream at the moment. And my wife and I gave him his heart’s desire.
The psalmist connects delighting in the Lord with having his heart’s desires met. Evidently, he was right because Jesus would later say, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
To delight in someone is to please them greatly. The way I please God is to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. All my energy will be focused toward serving Him, praising Him, and honoring Him with my words, actions, and attitudes. This is the condition for Him giving me the desires of my heart.
When I love God with my entire being, the desires I have will match His desires for me. God never promises to give me anything I want. His Word will instruct me on the things I should delight in, so when I ask for anything it will be for those things that will promote my spiritual growth and advance God’s Kingdom in this world.
The list of things I can delight in and desire are myriad, but delighting in the Lord will keep me focused on the most important things.
Delight in the Lord. You’ll be amazed by what He does in your life.
Tweetable: Where are you searching for true happiness?
Prayer: Father, we take delight in You and anticipate the things You will grant us to do Your work with.
Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.
Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.
No comments:
Post a Comment