I’ll Have What He’s Having!

I suppose I am like most folks when it comes to the fact that I like what I like and I want what I want. Moreover, I will be honest enough to admit that the way I know a lot of what I like and a great deal of what I want is by seeing what other people have. I may like to have a new truck when a friend pulls into the driveway to show me his new purchase. I could sense a desire for a new television when I visit friends and see the massive screen hanging on their living room wall. I have even been known to want certain food as I casually walk through a restaurant scanning the plates of complete strangers on my way to my own table. I am sure that I am not the only one who has this experience as I hear many people describe the desires of their hearts by explaining what someone else has.

The Lord obviously knew this about us also, and He addresses the issue in His word. Psalm 37:4 states, Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Now this psalm of David deals specifically with those who wonder why the wicked seem to get all the benefits while God’s people are always pleading for justice (note v. 1 where he urges not to fret over or envy the wicked). However, I believe v. 4 could have a wide range of application for us moderns. What I love about the verse is that it forces me to check the motivation for the desires of my heart. In a cursory glance it may seem that the Lord simply stands ready to give me whatever I like (Lord, I deeply desire a red corvette, a huge television, and the latest game system). Yet there is a condition put upon this promise of the Lord granting our hearts desires – it comes in the beginning of the verse: Delight yourself in the Lord. You see when we seek the Lord through reading His word, spending time in prayer, enjoying fellowship with His people, and the like, our desires then become less about the material things that we see others possessing. Instead our desires begin to be more about the spiritual things the Lord wants for us. So rather than trying to manipulate the Lord into giving us what we want selfishly, our Lord bends our will to match His own and gives us the things that we most desperately need to be faithful to Him.

Therefore, next time you think to yourself “I’ll have what he’s having,” check your desires by making sure that you are wanting what the Lord wants.

In Christ,

Pastor Josh

September 7, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: delight, desire, envy, materialism, Psalm 37, worry | Leave a comment