Delight and desires

Some thoughts I have and wonder if any one reading this might have too:

I purchased this same bracelet a few weeks ago while I was in Indianapolis and I have been wearing it just about every day. I wear it because it is pretty, with its two-tone look. But I mostly wear it because I am under conviction about what it says: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

I guess some who would read this verse would have it mean that if you delight in the Lord (take delight in the Lord) that means he will give you anything and everything you want.

Hmmm...

I wear it for what this verse means to me each time my eyes rest on it around my wrist. Take delight in the Lord --meaning, I believe, feast on his word, by giving plenty of time to being in God's presence in prayer and meditation each day; partake of his love which for me is boundless; take time to luxuriously bask in the joy of his presence being amazed and thankful that he loves me, even me.

And when I begin to do these things, then the desires of my heart change. I no longer desire those "things" of life or for my future to be as I imagine that I want it to be. When I am in his presence, and do it faithfully and intentionally, what my heart desires becomes quite different. My heart begins to desire what God desires for me, and I pray for a vision of what that is and most of all I submit my heart to God's own, and my greatest desire is to seek what is pleasing in God's sight, not simply what I would like my life to be like. If I spend time delighting myself in simply being loved by God and brought close to him through Christ, the desires of my heart become simple really--to live so closely to him so that my heart beats with his and indeed I will one will with God. And through it all, I become more and more aware in my spirit that love is growing, satisfaction is growing and that God indeed can do far more with who I am and what my future holds than I could ask or imagine.

These are the thoughts that I feel as if I need to keep closest to me. And so each morning, I put on my bracelet. And when I look and see and feel it it there, God is reminding me that I have not fully reached the place of willing one will with him yet but God walks with me on my way to perfection.

Lord Jesus, this Advent as we live with anticipation and yearn for the time yet to come, keep us yearning toward you. Amen