True Delight

What does it mean to get the desires of our hearts?

Does it mean that if we focus on the Lord and obey His commands, and find joy in doing so, that He will gives us all the things we want?

Not likely, considering some things we want may be outside of God’s will.

So what DOES it mean?  

God revealed to me a meaning in this verse recently that I had heard in passing, but didn’t fully comprehend.

I was struggling. As sinners, we often struggle with the things we “used to do” or “used to have” when we were living in our old lifestyles. When life was "easier”, when we didn’t choose to filter our decisions through the word of God to see if it was something that pleased God.

The bible tells us, and warns us about the draw of that old lifestyle.

Hebrews 3:12-13 (NKJV)

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Romans 6:21 (NIV)

21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

Titus 3:3-5 (ESV)

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

The Bible makes it clear that we are not to turn back to our old lifestyles. And through salvation we become new creations.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Does that mean that instantly we will no longer want the same things we did when we were unsaved? No! While some people are blessed enough to have certain struggles lifted miraculously by the hands of God, some struggles remain and will remain in our lives until we ourselves decide to obey in complete surrender and through a process of obedience, prayer and sometimes fasting give that struggle over to God.

My biggest struggle, as of recently, has been the desire for certain friendships from my past to be rekindled. Friendships that I know were not pleasing in the sight of God. I had days where my heart was broken over the loss of these friends and I cried out because all that I wanted in that moment was to have those connections back in my life. Knowing that these were dangerous to my walk with God and my marriage, I was even more heartbroken over the fact that I had these desires. So I sought guidance.

I confided in my Pastor’s wife that I was struggling, and that I did not want to have these desires. I wanted to be completely focused on God and who He wanted me to be as a woman, wife, mother, sister, friend… etc. And she advised me to pray, and not only pray but to fast. I had done technology fasts (no social media for a few weeks) or music fasts (listen to only christian music for a time), but I had never genuinely fasted.

Wanting to make sure I was approaching it with the right spirit, I prayed and in ended up getting confirmation on what she had advised. I fasted from midnight Monday night until after Wednesday night’s worship service at our church. I was blessed that those days fell in line with a school break, because I was able to wrap myself in the word and worship for that time and God brought to my attention Psalm 37:4

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

I had heard this verse before and understood it to mean that if I find my delight in the Lord, that He will give me the desires of my heart, as long as they are in line with His will. But God revealed to me that I placed my emphasis on the wrong part of the verse. Not that, my initial understanding of the verse was wrong, but that it had a deeper meaning. God revealed to me that if I delight myself in the Lord that He will give me “THE DESIRES” of my heart. Not that He will give me everything my heart desires, but that He will plant the desires in my heart that line up with His will.

As a new creation, if I truly surrender myself, and focus on Him, new desires will form in me during my growth to draw me closer to Him, and I will find a new joy in these new desires, and the desires of old will continue to fade.

Will it take time? Yes. Will it take effort? Yes. Will it be worth it? YES!!!!!!

Here are some verses to encourage:

Romans 8:26-28 (ESV)

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[b] for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 15:13 (ESV)

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.