Wednesday, November 06, 2013

The secret place where delight and desire meet


















Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. — Ps. 37:4 NET

I like this translation of Psalm 37:4. It captures the true meaning of delight and desire, which the passage places before us. The verse is often misunderstood, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Desire here is sanctified desire, or desire in light of prayer -- desire where the will of the supplicant is one with the will of the Father. Truly it is said that when my will wills to do the will of the Father as its highest good, it is there that predestination and human will become one.

There is much to be considered in these words, "Then you will take delight in the Lord, and He will answer your prayers." C.H. Spurgeon comments:

Delight in God has a transforming power and lifts a man above the false desire of our fallen nature. Delight in Yahweh is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the Lord can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which molds our desires till they are like the desires of God?

Our foolish way is to desire and then set to work to compass what we desire. We do not go to work in God’s way, which is to seek Him first and then expect all things to be added unto us. If we will let our heart be filled with God till it runs over with delight, then the Lord Himself will take care that we shall not want any good thing... For a while we may have disappointments; but if these bring us nearer to the Lord, they are things to be prized exceedingly, for they will in the end secure to us the fulfillment of all our right desires.

Alleluia!

Selah.

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