Desires of my Heart

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

Good morning, dear friends,

Another "heart verse" for my countdown to Valentine's Day!  Hope you are enjoying them as much as I am!

If someone were to ask you what your "heart's desire" is, what would it be?

For some, it might be for a family member or friend to come to know the Lord.  For others, it might be a more stable job or financial situation.  For some, it might be a healed relationship with a loved one, or healing from a sickness or disease.

For some of us Moms, it might be five minutes alone in the bathroom without someone knocking on the door.

All of us have something that we long for, even if it never leaves our lips.  I know I have several for my family and friends and the work here in France.

But I think that too many times I am focused so much on the second part of this heart verse, that I overlook the first part.

The first seven verses of Psalm 37 contain a long list of commands, and cradled in the middle is the verse at the top of the blog.  What are some of the others?

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers..."

"Trust in the Lord, and do good..."

"Delight thyself also in the Lord..." 

"Commit thy way unto the Lord..."

"Trust also in Him..."

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..."

There is a common thread in these verses, but I don't think the focus is on me.  The focus is all on God. These verses speak to my heart, about my attitude toward the Lord.

Am I worked up, because I see wicked people prospering?  "Fret not..."

Do I trust in my own ways, or in the Lord's?  "Trust..."

Do I seek the Lord for my daily guidance?  "Commit thy way..."

Do I trust the Lord to be faithful in His promises? "Trust also in him..."

Am I impatient for the Lord to work?  "Rest in the Lord..."

Finally, there is the heart verse at the top of this blog: "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart."

What is the command?  "Delight..."

Take exquisite pleasure in...

Love in a delicate way...

Enjoy closeness and priveleged company...

Perhaps that should be my focus, instead of "getting something from the Lord."

Maybe my heart needs to be fine tuned to the Lord in meaningful worship of Him.  In praise of His Person.  In loving trust and confidence in His Word and His Promises. In delighting in His company and making my requests known to Him.  In thanking Him for what He has already done and will continue to do in my life.

What if I made my number one desire, to know the Lord better?  To walk more closely with Him?  To know Him more personally?  To be more obedient to His ways?

May I place this desire above any other in my heart today.  May the circumstances of this day, "good" or "bad" not shake my resolve, to delight in my Lord.