Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:3-5 (NKJV)
Several years ago, I heard this passage explained like this: If you are following the Lord and seeking Him, He will put desires in your heart that He wants you to go after.
Prior to that, this verse had become one of those that I’d tag onto my selfish requests. “God, I’m lonely. Send me a boyfriend. You said that You’d give me the desires of my heart.” Or, “Lord, I want to be thin. Make this supplement do its job.”
But this verse isn’t a coupon for a freebie of your wants. It’s not indicating that if you want a new car, God will simply give it to you because you desire it. Or, if you think it’s time to get married, God will drop a man in front of you. Or, if you sign up for a diet and attach a Bible verse to it, you’ll be following God’s plan for you.
What it means is that when you get laser-focused on following Christ, you can be sure that when a strong desire is in your heart, He’s put it there. The desires of your heart will come from within. It starts with committing your way to the Lord, surrendering the desires of your heart to Him. Of course, He wants to bless us. Yes, He is a good Father who will give us good things. But it begins with us putting our trust in Him. When we are following Him, the desires of our hearts change. Our priorities become reorganized. The perfect body loses its appeal. Rushing down the aisle doesn’t seem as urgent. The promotion no longer defines my success.
As you pursue a healthy lifestyle, successful career, rewarding relationships, etc., surrender them to the Lord. Commit the process to God. Listen to His Spirit for guidance. You’ll likely find that what He has planned is so much better than what you could’ve imagined.
Action Step
Write out your goals, hopes, and dreams. No matter your age, I know you still have some. Then ask yourself these questions:
- Am I regularly seeking God?
- Are my goals and dreams from Him?
- Has He cleared a path for me to follow in this area?
- How can I glorify God in this pursuit?
Keep seeking Him. He will answer you.
