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THE DESIRES OF OUR HEARTS
Sometimes we give in to the illusion that if we only have enough faith or pray just a little harder, God will bring what we want to our lives. It’s easy to let this false narrative seep into our hearts and believe that if we can wish it, speak it, dream it, pray it, seek it, name it, or claim it, then it’s ours for the taking. This is the prosperity gospel, not Christianity.
God never promised that we’ll receive everything we desire. Nor did he tell us that all our dreams will be met in the way we wish. It might feel better to our aching hearts, at least temporarily, to believe that if we muster up enough human effort and courage, God will give us what we want. But in doing that, we would be neglecting the truth that our sovereign God is the orchestrator of life and that his ways and thoughts are higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:8–9).
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” We can’t overlook the beginning of this verse, which says the desires of our hearts are found by delighting in him. If we really want to discover true joy, we must keep our eyes on him in complete and total reliance.
Joy comes on the other side of our delight in the God who numbers our days—not when our days turn out exactly as we planned (see Psalm 90). His presence and infinite knowledge are close comforts when our despair feels all-consuming.
In Psalm 139, David praised God for his knowledge and presence in his life. He recognized that God knew everything about him and was always with him. The same is true for us today.
Following the pattern of Psalm 139, consider these questions….
Recognize my thoughts: What is causing my despair during this season of my life?
Reveal my sin: Is there a sin pattern (in word or deed) that has caused my despair?
Realign my attitude: How does my attitude need to change so I can experience true joy even in my waiting?
Remember God’s way: What is my next step as I aim to experience joy in him?
God, in what ways are you calling me to experience joy in you today? Amen.
Scripture
About this Plan
If you are in a season of waiting, you might be navigating feelings of disappointment, fear, or doubt. In this devotional, Rebecca George explores those feelings in light of how our unmet desires can be an invitation to draw closer to God. What if you could have real, biblical hope in a world that says you are running out of time?
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