Psalm 37:1–7 ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.’ (vv3–4)
It’s difficult being honest about our heart desires. King David gazed at Bathsheba bathing and lust awoke in his heart and forcefully drove his decision taking (2 Sam. 11:2–5).
The lesson’s clear! We are never best placed to evaluate the desires inflaming our hearts. This provides a foundational principle as we live every day with Jesus.
Pursuing heart desires without fixed reference points leads to disaster, as it did for David (2 Sam. 12:16–19). The psalmist offers a threefold approach.
First, continue to trust God despite the available evidence and our tumultuous emotions.
Second, remain where we are with God rather than seeking to find our own solutions. God will sustain us even in an apparent wasteland with no visible means of escape.
In fact, escape is never our ambition. This remains trust in God’s provision, however ludicrous to human understanding.
Third, we are to continue to delight in God from whom every blessing flows, and whose timetable is never the same as the one we’d prefer.
We may push back against this teaching, yet, in doing so we’re choosing to disagree with God’s call to discipleship. Trust comes at a price; the surrender of ourselves entirely to His leading in His own good time.
Such a season of trial often births a heart desire that more accurately captures our deepest longings.
Now, no longer silenced by our selfishness, a new seed germinates, one rich with kingdom fruitfulness for our own benefit as well as for that of others.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, may I choose to work with You and learn to live by Your Word rather than my own self-styled endeavours. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
How can you incorporate the three navigational aids of trust, stability, and worship whilst caught up in life’s pressures and mentally and emotionally stretched?
Scripture To Consider:
Gen. 39:19–23; Jer. 17:5–10; John 15:1–8; Acts 16:22–34
