Friday, September 21, 2012

Psalm 37:4 - Delight

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (NKJV)

I know this verse by heart. When I saw the reference on @KrissysToyBox ‘s profile, I immediately knew which verse it was.  And as often happens when I think of my friend’s life, I wonder how I can get on her level, how I can love and serve God more and get the desires of my heart.

My heart has one primary desire: a Godly marriage that will minister to both of us, our community and our future kids.  Mostly everything else I want I have, or I know exactly how to get it.

But this morning, for the first time, I realized that I have been reading a few words into that verse that don’t exist.  If you had asked me, “What does Psalm 37:4 say?” I probably would have quoted it correctly, as it’s written above.  But in my head and heart, I have always believed it to say “Delight yourself IN THE LAW OF the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
Huge difference!
 

I am learning more and more, better and better to love God’s law (almost as much as His grace) - read Psalm 119 over a week or less - but that’s not what that particular verse says.  That verse says delight yourself in HIM, in His person, in His personality, in His presence. 

It reminds me of a song I learned my freshman year of college.
“I want to sit at Your feet,
drink from the cup in Your hand,
lay back against You and breathe,
feel Your heartbeat.
this love is so deep,
it’s more than I can stand,
I melt in Your hands,
it’s overwhelming.” 
 

It sounds like she’s talking about a man doesn’t it?  She’s not. She’s talking about God.  And I used to feel that with God often.  John and Stasi Eldredge write in Captivating that “the essence of holiness is romance.” So moments with God when you can feel His hands and His heartbeat, that is when you have entered into the Holy Place, maybe even the Holy of Holies.

The statement my friend made that caused me to look at her profile was: “The best thing I ever did was fall in love with Jesus!”  I relate to the sentiment, but in my memory, not in my current practice. I spend a LOT of time dancing in the outer court, I even worship in the inner court.  And I live to serve God and His Kingdom.  But I haven’t spent a ton of time lately in the deeper places, delighting in God, being romanced by Him, romancing Him. The Eldredges also assert that the Lord waits to be wanted. I can surely relate to that. 

Let me be clear. I am NOT saying, let me get close to God so that I can get my man already.  Because you cannot get that close to God with an ulterior motive. But I do believe that the more I am wrapped in the glory of God, the sooner I can partner with the man who wants to dwell with me there. There is no greater love than God’s anyway.

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