The God who Gives

Is Psalm 37:4 a catch-22? Doesn't He just become your heart's desire, and you don't want anything else?

I have wondered about this question for a long time. Does God give us the desires of our hearts, or does He just become the desire of our hearts? I heard a story a long time ago about how this verse impacted someone's life. She said that when she committed herself to this verse, God became the desire of her heart. What a wonderful thing, right? For some reason, that struck a fear in me. Will I never desire anything else again? Am I right to desire anything other than God? If I desire something too much, will it be taken away?

It is funny how our doubts can sound when they are written out and examined. Of course, it is not the worst thing in the world to have God as your only heart's desire. In fact, it is the most wonderful thing that could happen to you. Having only to seek and want God will be the only thing that will satisfy your soul. It's enough just to know him, but our God is a God of Abundant Giving. He gives us Himself and so much more.

When you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the Godly desires of your heart. He becomes your desire, and He fills you with His desires. The things He wants for us are good. He gives good gifts. We just have to believe it. We have to believe that He has so much better thanz we could ever think. God will give you the deepest desires of your heart if they align with who He is.

I think of my heart's deepest desire: to be loved and cherished. Is not God the God who is Love? It would be outside of His character to give me anything less than love. If I ask for good things, then He would be good to give them. In fact, James writes: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows [James 1:17]. God is a loving father who desires to give good gifts.

Think about this: We know how to give good gifts to show love to the people around us, and we are evil. In Matthew 7:11, Jesus tells us, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! He gives us abundantly.

I think I fear that when God gives a good gift because He has every right, authority, and power to take that gift away. I often shy away from asking him for good things because of this fear. Now this is true: He is the God who gives and takes away, but He will never take away out of spite or hatred, or regret. If the Lord takes away something good, it is only because He has something better. He only takes out of love, just like a father disciplining his children. Hebrews 12:10 tells us, "but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness."

My last thought to this question is this: He becomes our desire as we seek him diligently, but he gives abundantly. During Passover, there is a song that many people sing called "Lo Dayenu," meaning "It would have been enough." It would have been enough if God to just saved the Israelites out of Egypt. It would have been enough for God to just give them the pillar of fire by day. It would have been enough if Jesus just died for my sins. Instead, He has given me more life than I could ever imagine.

It is enough for God to be the desire of my heart, but being true to his giving nature, he gives me so much more.