Day 2532 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


Psalm 37:4 NIV

I've got a feeling that this verse is one that many people don't quite understand. On the surface it sounds like this new prosperity gospel that so many folks apparently believe in. But while this verse says that God will give us the desires of our hearts, that doesn't necessarily mean what many probably assume it means. It's just a matter of seeing things through our worldly eyes and human perspectives.

We've been talking a bit about all the things we want in life and how selfishness undermines the point of the Gospel. This isn't about us. Our lives aren't about living to obtain all the junk that catches our eye. It's not about gaining a bunch of gold and glory that loses its meaning when we're no longer here to testify to its importance. But man, selfishness and human desires sure are the driving force behind so much of our society today!

The Gospel is there to help us learn to see the danger in doing what we want and chasing after what we think is important. It's there to help open our eyes to the cost of the mistakes that we've made making life all about us and what we want. Nowhere does it say anything about giving us everything we desire in life. That's where so many go wrong in trying to make the Bible fit our lives and not changing our lives to fit the Bible.

Apparently there is a rather large amount of people who think that Christianity is this key to untold riches and comfort and honor and fame. This whole prosperity gospel that has people believing that God will give us whatever we want in life isn't any gospel at all. It's a worldly, self-centered, human-oriented, delusional and dangerous pile of rubbish that taints the true Gospel and leads people away from the whole point of what our faith is meant to be.

Yes, this verse right here says that God will "give you the desires of your heart." Doesn't mean a Mustang. Doesn't mean a closet full of fancy clothes. Doesn't mean a four-story house. Doesn't mean a whole bunch of zeros in your bank account. It's awful easy to overlook that first part of the verse isn't it? As humans we see what we want to see and are really great at overlooking anything that goes against it.

Take delight in the Lord. There's your key. What we selfishly want in life is based upon ourselves. It's what makes us comfortable. It's what we find exciting. It's what brings us pleasure or makes us feel special or gives us some sense of power or worth. It's about us. But this verse isn't about us. It's telling us to take delight in the Lord first and foremost. God above ourselves. His plans above our desires. His will over our dreams. His way, not ours.

You see, when we take delight in the Lord, our lives change. The way we see things changes. The desires we have become different. When God becomes our sole focus and we step beyond our selfishness, then we begin to learn what really matters in life. And it's not fast cars or massive houses. It's helping others. It's sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. It's helping someone break free from addiction. It's seeing lives changed through the saving power of the cross.

When we're living for God according to His will for us then He will in fact give us the desires of our hearts. But those desires will be radically different than what they are before we meet Christ. He will fulfill this new desire to love more. He will fulfill this new desire to tell others about Jesus. He will help us fulfill the new desire to be a little more kind, a little more compassionate, a little more like Jesus and a whole lot less of who we used to be and what we used to want.

Things change when we fully embrace the road that God is calling us to walk. One of the biggest changes is what we desire in life. No longer is it about us. It's about Him and helping everyone around us meet their Savior so that He can change them for the better as well. He will give us everything we desire when we're focused on Him. But those desires will be far more special than worldly comfort, and far more valuable than anything we've ever wanted before!

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