God Gives What You Desire

Psalm 37:4 promises that the Lord will give you the desires of your heart if you meet just one condition: if you delight in Him.  This is a sweeping, all-encompassing promise!  How can God trust us not to misuse such a promise?  What will keep us from asking for all kinds of selfish desires?  For things that seem good to us right now, but will ultimately prove harmful?  The one condition is an adequate safeguard.  Delighting in God does something profound in our hearts.  It transforms the central concern of the heart away from self-interest.  God’s glory now becomes the driving passion of life.  Everything else now serves this overarching purpose.  A person who desires God above all things will not ask Him for things that are contrary to His will.  A heart that delights in God will impose its own limits on what is asked of God.  The central desire of such a heart will be righteousness (37:6); and no prayer contrary to this purpose will be allowed.  God delights to answer the prayers and give abundant blessings to those who delight in Him (37:11).