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 made his way to the kitchen, placed several large scoops in a bowl, and delighted 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, “Doc, 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 we please God is to love Him with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We will focus all our energy toward serving, praising, and honoring Him with our words, actions, and attitudes. This is the condition for Him to give us the desires of our hearts.
When we love God with our entire being, our desires will align with His desires for us. God never promises to give us anything we want. His Word will instruct us on the things we should delight in, so when we ask for anything, it will be for those things that will promote our spiritual growth and advance God’s Kingdom in this world.
The list of things we can delight in and desire is myriad, but delighting in the Lord will keep us focused on the most important things.
Delight in the Lord. He will amaze you with what He does in your life.
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at mandmwiles@gmail.com.
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