There are many legitimate desires, such as desires for food, rest, companionship, marriage, a good home, health, strength, and friendship. Even success in life is a legitimate desire. Yet, at times, even these legitimate desires seem to go unfulfilled.
David wrote in Psalm 37, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” That is a promise with a condition. Jesus promised his disciples, “Whatever you ask in my name I will do it, that the Father may be glorified.” “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” A promise is a promise. We are told to ask and we would receive.
Realistically, God wants you to be happy. God is not miserable, so why would he want his children to be miserable? It is the joy of the LORD that is our strength.
But the key to getting the desire of our hearts is the phrase that says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and he will give you the desire of your heart.”
Delight is an extravagant word. It suggests ecstasy, gladness, glee, joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. So, the idea behind the promise is that we are to be extravagantly enjoying the pursuit of God. Our hearts are willing to go above and beyond for God. We are living a life that will attract God’s intervention toward the desires of our hearts.
Remember Jesus’ words, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.” Pursue God’s kingdom, go after Him—and then the promise kicks in.
Do we understand what delight stands for? That is the hinge on which the promise swings. Solely focused on the Lord. Overwhelmed with just Him and His kingdom, focused on the joy of being in His presence. That kind of person sits on a powerful promise of God granting the desires of our hearts.
Realistically, God wants you to be happy. God is not miserable, so why would he want his children to be miserable?
You could say the capital word of this verse is DELIGHT. When you delight in God, it produces fellowship with God, and your desires unconsciously begin to align with what God’s will is. James said, “We don’t get what we ask for because our desires are selfish—to consume it on ourselves alone.” That’s the reason for so many unanswered prayers—selfishness!
The delighted believer has a life, mind, and heart that is bent towards God and His will. “Whatever you want, God, I want. Where you want me to go, I want to go. What you want me to do, I want to do.”
This heart-attitude of delight gets God’s attention. Our desires have become meshed with God’s will, and of course, the things we desire have become God’s will. And yes, that promise in those circumstances is 100% going to come to pass.
God will give you the desires of your heart as your life becomes solely focused on Him and DELIGHTS in Him alone.
