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Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
Have you ever babysat, or just been a keen observer of the interactions between children? It’s a truly fascinating and humorous sight, especially when it comes to sharing. The kids share the toys in front of them, but then they also have a stock pile of toys hidden away.
Sometimes this is how a relationship with God appears. You have a small pile in front of you- a job or relationships or whatever it may be- that you’re willing to give to God. However, in the background you have a stockpile that you aren’t ready to give to God yet. Our personal aspirations are commonly in the background, behind the toys, hiding from God when he asks us to give Him our all.
When it comes to achievement there are certain steps that need to be taken in order to make our dreams come true. We pursue things with a very active mindset, but we can fall into the trap of refusing to give God our aspirations, convinced that we can do it on our own accord.
Even as Christians, we believe that we have to actively do tasks to make our dreams achievable. Scripture points us to draw near the Lord, rather than glorify ourselves. In Psalm 37, we can clearly identify our instructions from God:
Trust, dwell, enjoy, take delight, commit, trust, be still, wait patiently and do not fret.
That doesn’t sound like work. It sounds like a loving God who wants the best for us, telling us to let go of the reigns. When we draw closer to God and give him our goals, we will achieve these alongside His glory.
Time and time again scripture pulls us closer to God, so when we go out to achieve something in our lives, it can be fruitful and glorifying to God. We need to take into account what Psalm 37 is telling us and trust in the Lord, dwell and enjoy our ease. When we take delight in the Lord we are finding pleasure in drawing near to Him and following his will.
When we truly surrender in giving God everything, dreams included, he will give us the desires of our hearts, because it will align with His.
May the God who brings peace, draw us near in surrender and full delight for His glory forever and ever, Amen.
