God Gives Us the Desires of Our Hearts, But Not the Idols We Ask For - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 31

God Gives Us the Desires of Our Hearts, But Not the Idols We Ask For
By: Hannah Benson

Bible Reading:
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your hearts.” - Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

This verse has been an anchor for me over the past several years as I’ve navigated the challenges of high-school and now adulthood. I have so many dreams and desires on my heart. Some doors God has swung wide open, while others, I’m still wondering what is on the other side.

Sometimes, God whispers to my heart: “You need to knock.” After all, didn’t Jesus say “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 ESV).

We know the Lord delights to give good gifts to His children.

But what happens when we’ve asked, sought, and knocked multiple times, but God says no?

If the Lord doesn’t give us what we want, does this mean we didn’t have enough faith? That we didn’t ask or believe as hard as we should’ve?

According to Psalm 37:4, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.

Does this mean we didn’t delight enough in God?

Why then didn’t God give us what we wanted?

Reread the verse.

Notice it says, “God will give us the desires of our hearts” not “God will give us everything we ask for.”

The psalmist writes in Psalm 73:25 (ESV), “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”

Dear friend, God is meant to be the greatest desire of our hearts.

The verse in Psalm 37:4 could have a two-fold meaning.

1. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will truly give us the desires of our hearts—Him! He will be what we long for most, which is far more important than anything else we could ever want.
2. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He changes our heart to want what He wants for our lives.

I can’t tell you how many times I have longed for something. Usually, one of two things happens when I have something placed on my heart. I either clench what I want in my fist and that’s when I realize it’s an idol. God will usually remove it from my life (either permanently or at least for a while until my heart changes).

God wants us to surrender and trust Him. Even if He says no. Even if He asks us to make a decision that doesn’t make sense.

I have found that God will meet the desires of our hearts, but He won’t give us the idols we ask for.

Now, you may be thinking: “That’s crazy! I would never ask God for an idol or bow down to any other god. I’m a believer!”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

If we long for something more than we long for God, even if it’s good, then it becomes an idol in our lives. It could be our desire for a job, a spouse, a child, even an open door to go on a missions trip. Those wants and desires aren’t wrong, but if placed above God, then that’s when things get sticky. A key question to ask ourselves when wanting something is: if God asked me to give this up, would I?

If the answer is no, then that’s a sign our heart is in the wrong place.

If the thing we desire most has turned into an idol, then God won’t give it to us.

I speak from personal experience.

This isn’t to say that upon surrendering that which our heart longs for, we shall receive it either. God is sovereign and knows what is best for each of us.

But it has to come from a heart of surrender. 

Pray with me:

Dear Father, please forgive me for clenching what I want in an iron fist. I know You are calling me to let go, to fall into Your arms, and to trust You with the deepest desires of my heart. I know You are my greatest heart’s desire. Please help me to live like that and truly believe this truth. Please help me want You more than anything and trust You will bring me what I am meant to have. I will not miss anything if I’m walking with you. Thank you! In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/zenstock 

Hannah L. Benson is a writer, actress, and content marketer with a passion for telling stories that glorify God and bring hope to your heart. As a writer, her work can be found in publications including the Rebelution, Her View From Home, Her Faith Arises, Inside Out Worldwide, and now most recently, Crosswalk. Her heartfelt writings have impacted countless women around the country. As one reader put it: "Hannah has a gift of sharing the depths of her heart in a relatable way with a deep understanding of the human heart." Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram @hannahlbensonwrites or visit her website at www.hannahlbenson.com.

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