True Desire

Valentine's Day just passed, love is in the air. On my heart this month is . . . the heart.

We all have desires. Things that occupy our thoughts, take our time, drive us, and define us. Things that, if withheld, can destroy us, incapacitate us, embitter us, or sap our will to live.

The Bible talks a lot about desires; I look at some themes below.

A Promise

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

This is a famous verse. It is common to focus on the promise in the second half: "he will give you the desires of your heart." And generally we have some worldly object in view (true love, status, career, possessions, and so on). While it is true that God gives gifts and loves doing so (see Ephesians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 7:7, Luke 11:13, Matthew 7:11, James 1:17), this verse is not an 'equation' for getting worldly things. We must grapple with our fallen nature.

A Problem

Our desires are not inherently good. When man fell, our desires were corrupted and misguided.

• For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:16-17)
• But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (James 1:14)
• Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. (Proverbs 18:1)
• Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. (Psalm 19:2)

As God never tempts us to sin (James 1:13), so the desires mentioned in Psalm 37 must point to something else. Can our desires ever be good?

A New Hope

The Bible talks a lot about the newness we have in Christ. Our sinful nature remains, yet he is making all things new, and so we are commanded to put off the old man and putting on the new. 

• And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.(Galatians 5:24)
• . . . put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, (Ephesians 4:22)
• But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16-17)

So we can have good desires—if we walk by the Spirit.

True Desire

So in considering Psalm 37, we cannot lose sight of the first part of this verse: "delight yourself in the Lord."

If you delight in the Lord, what will the desire of your heart be? 

• Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25)
• My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)
• In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. (Isaiah 26:8)

These verses humble. Can I honestly say there is nothing on earth that I desire besides God? That his name and remembrance are the desire of my soul? 

I too often desire God's stuff rather than God himself. And that, in the end, is the problem. 

I think Psalm 37:4 is not about earthly things but something much more important: God will be with those who seek him (Jeremiah 29:13). Only he can satisfy; he is the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13) who can truly quench our thirst (John 4:13-14). And there's only one way to him: through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

'If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.' - C.S. Lewis

What do you delight in? Lord, rightly order our desires.