The psalmist tells us that if we delight in God, he will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Clearly, this is something more than rubbing a genie’s lamp and being granted three wishes, but the promise elicits that sort of excitement from us. Is it really possible? we wonder. Will God really give me whatever I desire? The thought seems too be good to be true.
It is true, and there’s really no catch. But there are conditions. For one thing, we have to delight in the Lord—which is not a “have to” at all but rather a “get to”—and that means taking our eyes off the second half of the verse and being preoccupied with the first half. Otherwise, we’re just delighting in our own desires and waiting for God to cater to them.
But if we can let him capture our hearts—if we can grow deeply enraptured by him and desire him above all else—something happens within us. Our desires begin to morph into his desires. We sync with his heartbeat. We begin to dream his dreams.
Then the promise is fulfilled. Not only does he give us the greatest desire of our hearts—himself—he also gives us our other desires, which have somehow blended with his desires and grown into something delightful both to him and to us. It’s an emotional, purposeful partnership individually designed for each of us to experience his plan for our lives.
Does that place of desire seem far away? Don’t worry. Cultivate it. Ask him to help. Tell him you want to experience this promise in all its fullness. The destination isn’t the only partnership at play; the process is a partnership too. And it begins and ends in delight.
