Delighting

'Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart.' I have always liked that verse, it gives hope that if I love the Lord, He will give my my hearts desire. Yet, I see this verse from a whole different angle now.

I had some gals over earlier this month to celebrate Epiphany. We had a great time! I needed it! Before they left they each signed my guest book. The next day I read through what was written. One of the gals put the reference for the verse above. Even though I knew it, I pulled out my bible and read it. For some reason, it overwhelmed me and I began to cry. Looking back, I think part of the emotion was not feeling as though I was not living my hearts desire. The verse played in my head for days. 'What does it really mean?' 'It can't mean I will get what I really desire if I am following the Lord.' I love words, their meanings, so...

The Hebrew for the word delight is: to be soft, delicate, pliable. Hmm, not what I expected. The Hebrew word for desire is: prayer, petition, request. Hmm, again. With those definitions in mind I pondered a few more days. I finally opened up a small commentary on the Psalms by H.A. Ironside. As soon as I saw the title for Psalms 37, I had my answer. But I read on.

Dr. Ironside stated that Psalms 35, 36, and 37 went together, 'the holiness of God in grace and judgement is specially emphasized. That is something I think we should understand clearly.' In reading the 3 Psalms back to back, you see how they interconnect. I was especially struck with 36, leading into 37. In Ps. 36 it speaks of how the wicked behave; words of evil and deceit, ceases to be wise and good, plans wickedness, loves evil. At end of the Ps. King David makes a cry for protection against the evildoers. But then the comfort and wisdom comes in Ps 37. Do not fret because of evildoers, they will fade away. But you...

Trust in the Lord...Do good...Dwell in the land...Cultivate faithfulness...Delight in the Lord...Commit your ways to the Lord...Rest in the Lord...Cease from anger. Three times in the first nine verses we are commanded not to fret. Must be important. We are given a total of nine commands. We are told how we are to conduct ourselves. All these things can only be accomplished when we are in fellowship with God.

When I am in true, honest, and pure fellowship with the Lord, He becomes my desire. Because of fellowshipping with Him I become more like Him. The more I become like Him, the more malleable and pliable I am, easily bent to His ways and will. As a result, my hearts desires become what He has for me. That is true delight.

It kind of takes a burden off my shoulders. For often when I have prayed for my hearts desire, and have not gotten it, I have gotten frustrated, disappointed. As I seek Christ, spend time at His feet, letting go of my worries and concerns, what I think I need, or want, I will be given the true desire of my heart. Him.