DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD – PART TWO
From The HeartPublish date: 03/18/2001
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37:3-5 KJV
Psalms 37:4 says that when you delight yourself in the Lord -- He will give you the desires of your heart. Notice that it says that God will give you the desires of your HEART - not of your head or your flesh! A man or woman who delights themselves in the Lord, is one who has a heart after God. They have a heart that longs to please God – a heart filled with good desires. God will not honor the ungodly, sinful desires that spring from an unrenewed mind or unrestrained flesh. He only honors godly desires. If your desire is toward the Lord, then it will also be toward the things of the Lord and He promises to fulfill those desires.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:18-23 NKJV
After we are born-again we desire God and the things of God in our heart, but the flesh hankers after those things that are sinful and evil. We need to allow our heart to rule our flesh. We need to allow the desires of our heart to take precedence over the desires of the flesh.
The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath – NKJV. The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath - NIV - Proverbs 11:23
What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted. Proverbs
When you are righteous, your desires are righteous desires and God will give
you those things. Your righteous desires will be fulfilled.
The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalms 145:14-20 NIV
God is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works. He rains on the just and the unjust. He reaches out to bless all those who reach out for Him. The wicked will be destroyed and their plans will come to nothing, but God hears the just and save those who honor, respect and fear Him.
Psalms 73:25 NIV says, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” There is nothing on earth or in heaven to be desired beside our God. Proverbs 3:14-15 says that she - wisdom - is better, more precious and more profitable than gold, silver or rubies and nothing you can desire compares with her. We will be blessed if we desire after, and ultimately find, wisdom. 1 Peter 2:1-3 says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 says that we should, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts.”
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil. Proverbs
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. NKJV. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. NIV - Proverbs 13:12
Desire the wisdom of God, the word of God, the gifts God gives and most of all God Himself and you will be refreshed and fulfilled.