Message from Scripture: 6/1/2020

Today’s message from Scripture comes from Psa. 37:4; “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Many people claim God’s blessings in a variety of activities, thinking that what David expressed in the last part of Psa. 37:4 is some sort of guarantee that God will give us whatever we want. The Hebrew term translated desire carries the meaning of a petition or request. Does God always give us what we ask of Him? Does He approve and fulfill every desire we have? Experience itself tells us this is not true. Paul petitioned God three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, but God’s answer was not to eliminate his problem, but provide the grace for him to endure it (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

David isn’t telling us we have carte blanche to say or do whatever we please, and know we have God’s approval. We should not view a relationship with God as one-sided, as God existing to grant us our every wish while we do what we please. God wants something far better than that for us; He wants us to reflect His image today, so we can be with Him eternally.

All that we are, our motives of heart, our words and deeds, must be conformed to the will of God as revealed in the word of God. Living for self and claiming God’s blessings is a pretense, a deceit of Satan. So also is picking and choosing what part of God’s word we obey, and what we choose to ignore. Living for Christ and denying self is our greatest challenge, and with it, our greatest promise.

A passage I am very fond of is Phil. 4:4; “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” If our source of joy is in the Lord, our desires will be for Him and His blessings will be with us. How great it is to have God as our ally, that when His will becomes our will, delight is abundant in Him. Have a day filled with His joy. God bless.

Robert