Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Desires of our hearts?

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” 37:4

Read a really good reply to a post on another blog today that got me thinking about the same thing the woman posting was thinking: Psalm 37:4 is a tough verse.

Intellectually I get it, but I guess it’s the application. I know it’s not red letter, but it starts me down the journey toward the red letters. All my Christian life, I’ve grown up with people quoting this verse to me. Granted they are well meaning folks, like grandparents, Sunday School teachers and friends, folks that I think know what they are talking about. Yet here I am today, I do not have the desires of my heart. What I have is a huge faith struggle.

Don’t hear what I’m not saying…(thanks Reggie McNeal). I’m not saying I’m not blessed or loved or anything like that or that my home, family, friends, church, etc are not awesome – they are. I am only saying, if you asked me if I had the desires of my heart (and those close to me know what they are) I would honestly say no, I do not.

Back to the verse. I then try to figure out what the desires of my heart should be because apparently they are not correct desires, as they have not been granted. Then I beat myself up for having bad desires. I then realize that these desires are not rooted in evil nor are they stemmed from anything bad or wrong. The desires are fine. Then, I look at myself. Maybe I’m not fine.

This is not wholly about me. It’s really about any of us that have found our “desires” forgotten. It’s about coming to terms with what the Bible says and can any of it be believed. I think it can of course, but need some help.

Any takers?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I see a book in your future. Keep it coming.

TheologyMom said...

I don't pretend to know how God works or doesn't...read my blog. :) I live constantly in the tension of "God loves me" and "God doesn't give a s**t about me". Today I believe He loves me and I know he loves you. Maybe He is trying to teach you something? :) J/K

Anonymous said...

You left out is the first part. How are you delighting yourself in the Lord? Maybe that's the key. How do we delight ourselves in the Lord? What does that mean, what does he want? Maybe by focusing on Him instead of our desires that's when he gives them to us. But aren't we then just trying to trick the Lord into giving us our desires, oh darn it, He'll see right through that. What are you doing today to delight yourself in the Lord, for reals, not just to get what you want?
Crapfully yours,
Twitty City.

Red Letter girl said...

Good point twitty. What do you do to delight yourself in the Lord? I need all the help I can get!

Anonymous said...

I don't even pretend that I know the answer. But here's what I think.

Perhaps if we focus on the Lord instead of our desires than that would be of delight to him.

Instead of wishing I was miraculously thin without having to eat less or excercise (which actually happend once to me but ended up being a medical problem that I have to live with for the rest of my life and wasn't worth the being thin without trying thing) I should concern myself with God wants me to be and not focus on what the world says I should be.

Let's start with that and see where it goes.

Red Letter girl said...

I guess I just need to know what focusing on the Lord looks like cause I think I do that an awful lot...I mean, I'm not out feeding poor people or anything really "crazy" like that...wait...maybe that is what is missing! Damn! (sorry mom)

Anonymous said...

It's funny how the desires of my heart seem to change from time to time. Sometimes I think that I am content just the way things are or, when old desires are met new ones quickly swoop in to replace it. That is what leads me to believe that the word desire, and the things in which we are to desire is on a deeper level. When we delight ourselves in the Lord our own earthly desires subside into His desire for our hearts. Like the desire to help people and feed the poor. The desire to build a community of faith or the Hillhouse Free Medical Clinic.

Red Letter girl said...

I love that thought. Perhaps the key is the desire - and the morphing of it to become something so much more than what I want.

I still want what I want though. :)

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I work at a Christian School district only 4 miles from my home. The people there are full of grace and love and I am glad to be a part of this ministry. I have a neice and nephew whom I love dearly. They are 12 and almost 15 respectively. I have two amazing sisters and two amazing brothers-in-law. Of course, I would not be here if it were not for my mother agreeing to marry my dad. Good going mom! My parents are my life and I would literally be NOTHING without their unconditional love, support and care. You rock mom and dad. Then there's Will & Lora...their giggles are like sunshine and their parents crack me up too.

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