“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4 (ESV)
This promise may seem like an overstatement, but I think that it is eventually true for those who delight themselves in the Lord. If we keep our hearts rejoicing in God in Christ, and what he has done for us and the blessing of following him, then he will fulfill our desires sooner or later.
Remember that the kingdom of God is already here but not yet complete. This means that most of God’s blessings are here in part but not yet completely fulfilled. Therefore, my desire for complete inner peace and joy is only partly fulfilled now, but will be completely fulfilled on the New Earth. My prayers for financial stability are only partly fulfilled now, but I will be completely secure and prosperous in the next age. He may not fulfill a specific desire such as landing a job we really want, but he will fulfill the underlying desire to enjoy being fruitful, and he may or may not do that in this age, but he will in the next. God will fulfill our desires in two phases.
When our hearts abide in God, then he wants to fulfill our desires, knowing that the desires of our hearts are in line with his desires. We don’t need to wait for him to tell us what to ask for because he wants us to learn to come up with our own requests. This is what a father wants to see in his children. That is why Jesus promised: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7, ESV). And “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11, ESV)
Therefore, we are encouraged that God is a generous Father, waiting to fulfill our desires because we are his children. Do you think of God as wanting to fulfill our desires sooner or later? What do you desire from him?
