The verse that I was studying and dwelling on this past week was Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
As I dwelt on the words and prayed this during the week, I have come to realize that some times your desires in your heart are often hidden. I was recently blessed to apply for and get accepted for a paying position with a company that I adore and respect. The reason I mention this is because I have often dreamt about becoming more of a rooted part of this company, but I just knew that it might never happen.
A short while back a position was offered and I thought how awesome it would be for me to apply and work as the assistant to the publisher, but I did not apply. And I didn’t realize how much I actually wanted to apply until I didn’t get the job and a sweet friend of mine did. I was crushed, truth be told. I had no idea that it meant as much as it did until I did not even get the position. But of course, you don’t get a job unless you apply . . . therein was my issue.
I thought that while I wanted to work for said company, the applying part scared me quite silly, so each time an opportunity showed up, I dismissed it. Just knowing that I would never be picked from the many that would obviously apply.
So, just this morning I was blessed to come upon a listing for another position that had come available. I quickly said a prayer and sent my husband a text message telling him about it. He said absolutely you should apply, you know all about doing that sort of work. My heart is screaming, “yes” but my head is saying, “no”. The conflict was enough that I almost didn’t take that extra step and send in my letter of interest.
But as I sent in my letter, I asked God to let this become some thing if He willed it to be. I asked my hubby to say a prayer also, because where two or more are gathered (even separated by miles, we are still together in the same thoughts).
I was so surprised that the answer was quick and came with an invitation to join the company. The Lord knew my heart’s desires even more so that I did. I thought it was just a fleeting, wishful dream to work in a higher capacity with this company, yet my God knows me better than I know myself.
So, just because the desires are in your heart, are they the ones that God wants in there? Are the desires in His plan for you? I have tried all week to apply the “delight yourself” portion of this verse in the hopes that in my honest pursuit of Him that He would lead me to where I need to go.
I am beyond excited and honored to be a part of some thing bigger than myself. Once I have more info that I can share, I will.
My final thought is this; God has our plans laid out for us and His plans are so good. This time, my heart was desiring some thing that I didn’t even know or comprehend and because I have chosen to be diligent, He has blessed me.
The verse for next week is another good one: Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
If you are just joining in this week, please feel free to download the PDF that has all of the verses I will be using this month.
There are so many wonderful verses still yet to come, I hope you continue to join in with me here as I spend Midnights with Jesus.
As promised, there will be a linkup for last week’s verse and you will find it below.
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Dig in night owl mamas, and let Jesus shine upon your face . . . even at midnight.
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Until next week.
In His grace.
Callie
Psalm 27:14 – “Hope for the LORD. Be strong and he will encourage your heart. And hope for the LORD.” This is similar to Psalm 31:25 – “Be strong and he will encourage your hearts, all those who are in anticipation of the LORD.” How are hope and anticipation related? Psalm 130:5 – “I hoped, LORD, my soul hoped. I was in anticipation of his word.”
Hope occurs twice in the first and the third verses. Anticipation occurs only once in the second and the third verses. Hope comes about when one’s soul and God are as yet separate. This is recognition of the holy. Anticipation is when one is on the way to overcome that divide. One has crossed past the initial apprehension into somewhere intermediate.
This anticipation is similar to the involvement called for in Psalm 37:7 – “Be silent for the LORD and involve yourself to him …” That is more like self-anticipation. Whereas there one turns inward in order to place oneself, one’s soul, on the path toward God; here the action is direct, being ahead of oneself, with God’s word leading. One is always further involved.
Also, what about this call for strength and encouragement? This pair is repeated often in Deuteronomy 31 and Joshua 1. One must not give in to fear or to cowardice, but must stand by companions, just as God is with us. One must have faith in a promise, one’s heritage, that one already is involved in the past and the future, that one is always going forward, returning home.
But this strength must not become self centered. Deuteronomy 2:30 – “… The LORD God hardened his spirit and (overly) encouraged his heart …” 2 Chronicles 36:13 – “… He hardened his neck and (overly) encouraged his heart from returning to the LORD God …” One must at times be on the guard against one’s soul, since a virtue must serve only what is holy.
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give to you the askings of your heart” (Psalms 37:4). This verse seems to be a hypothetical, if-then statement. Do something for the LORD and he will give you something else in return. Let us begin with this gift. It is that for which you have asked, or perhaps prayed. However, prayer is not for things. This asked-for word occurs elsewhere only in Psalms 20:5, “… the Lord will fulfill all of your askings.” This parallels with the preceding verse of Psalms 20:4, “He will give to you according to your heart and will fulfill all of your counsel.” Plans, strategies, considerations. Thought must be given. Pieces must be put together. So, the gift in return is in answer to what you have taken time to understand how decisions and actions have consequences. The great gift is to understand how these branches together make a tree, a tree of life. But how are you to go about this? What is the something you must do? It is rather what you become, as this is what the LORD has asked for. Delight in him. Usually delights are diversions, letting yourself fall to pieces, taking a break from your goals, being enticed away from the path on which you are set. If instead you become delighted on and toward that path, then you are gifted with understanding, of how your path in life comes about. And you “will delight in an abundance of peace” (Psalms 37:11).