"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4)

WOW, what a verse! When folks read this verse or hear it quoted, they immediately begin to think of all their desires and how thrilling it would be to have every dream fulfilled. But, there is much more to this verse than meets the eye.

The word "delight" literally means to be soft or pliable, to SUBMIT. In other words, the Psalmist was indicating that as we submit to the Lord, He shall give us the desires of our heart—he will not only place those desires IN our heart, but He will also fulfill them.

Submission is something that is not fun to think about ; it carries with it personal responsibilities to not only acknowledge the Word of God but to ACT on the Word of God. Submission is dying to our own desires and allowing God's desires to manifest themselves in our lives. But, submission is a fact of life for the Christian, not that we HAVE to, but that we WANT to in order to lead a life pleasing to our Father.

Do you have strong desires deep in your heart? Chances are they have been planted there by the Lord and as you submit to His will more and more each day, you will begin to see these "dreams" manifested in you. If you have (or had) young children, remember how much you longed for them just to submit to your will when you gave them instructions or a task to accomplish. Then, remember how proud you were when they finally caught on and began to obey. Our Father longs for our obedience to His will much the same way, and He rejoices with us when our will becomes one with His.

Bless the Lord, submit to His will and He WILL give you the desires of your heart—the very desires He planted to bring Him the glory He deserves. Blessing Him also blesses us, but even if it doesn't bring a blessing in return, our hearts must be determined to submit to His will regardless of the personal cost, just because He is who He is.

Lord, submission is not always easy for me, but it is my heart's desire to please You by determining that my will be one with Your will, that Your desires become my desires, that Your plan for my life becomes mine. Lord, those desires You have planted in my heart, let them become a praise to You as they are made manifest as a result of my submission and obedience to Your will for me. Lord, be glorified in my life. I love You and long to please You with all my heart, amen!

© Jan Ross
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