Psalm 37:4 “Delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”
What I didn’t realize before the Race was that not only God places desires on my heart, so does the world. If I am following what I am passionate about it doesn’t mean that I am walking in God’s will for my life. If I am not aligning myself with God continually, how can I expect all my desires to come from Him?
The verse Psalm 37:4 gets taken out of context a lot. I took it out of context before the Race, I’ve also heard it thrown around like it is a magic recipe for success. I use to think that if I would just ask God for my desires, I would receive it.
Psalm 37:3-6 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
If we read the verses surrounding verse four we can see that there are some requirements to receive the desires of our hearts. We need to TRUST in the Lord and do good. We need to delight in Him, which requires us spending time with Him. And we need to also commit our ways to the Lord. Once we do all of those things, that is when we receive the desires of your heart.
Prior to the Race I didn’t think about the context surrounding the verse. I never even stopped to see what was at the root of my desires. Thankfully, my desires now are completely different than what they were eight months ago.
Is that because I am lying to myself now?
Is it because I was confused back home?
Or, is it because I’ve actually quieted the world enough to hear my heart speak, and I’ve quieted myself enough to hear God speak?
Aligning myself with Christ has helped silent the worlds influence on my life, and has helped some of my false desires fall away. I actually choose to ask God to show me His plan for my life going forward first, instead of making my own plans. Yet, what He has revealed to me go along with the desires of my heart now.
I don’t know about you, but something deep inside my soul desires significance. I desire to get to my death bed and feel accomplished, not regret. I desire to know that I lived this life to the best of my ability, for God. I desire to know that I walked in the fullness of life that God created for me.
As children of God, we were created to be world changers:
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will”.
We were created to be missionaries:
Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.
We were created to experience joy and love out gratitude:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.”
We were created with a purpose and a plan on our lives:
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
We were created to be fulfilled:
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus”.
We were created to follow God and to be blessed:
Psalm 128:1 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways”.
We were created FOR God:
Isaiah 43:7 “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, who I formed and made”.
We were created… Why not listen to our creator? We were created to lead, to love, and to make waves in this ocean that the devil thinks is his playground.
I don’t know about you but I am ready to be different. I am ready to be obedient, and for God to use me to do incredible things. I am ready to live surrendered, to let go of control. I am ready to let the One who can see the bigger picture move me around on the game board. Are you?
Are you ready to feel like you belong? Because I am.
Are you ready to feel loved? Because I am.
Are you ready to have direction? Because I am.
Are you ready to feel fulfilled? Because I am.
All of these things we can find in Christ, if we just let Him lead us. If we just quiet ourselves and listen to Him.
Before I went on this Race I found my fulfillment in accomplishments. I thought that if I could get a degree, have the right friends, buy a car, and attend church. That I would somehow be “good enough”, not only for God but for my family.
I thought that I could fill myself up by working long hours, by hanging out with friends, by being seen as someone who had their life together. I wanted to be SEEN for those things, and I focused my energy and attention on that. I made my accomplishments my identity, instead of recognizing the identity I have in Christ.
I watched movies containing love and adventure – and somehow thought the feelings I was feeling throughout the film were fulfilling. If I watched a movie about action, I wouldn’t need to go exploring. If I got my adrenaline pumping I wouldn’t need to actually DO anything. If I watched a romance, I would feel the excitement about the couple falling in love, so therefore I wouldn’t need to fall in love myself.
I was watching those movies and finding just enough satisfaction to numb me. Instead of going out and DOING something myself. Instead of going out and climbing a mountain, jumping off a bridge, swimming with sharks. I would just work, go to school, attend church, and then watch a movie, scroll through social media, or read an article. I got so caught up in OTHER people’s lives, that I forgot to live my own!
I don’t know about you, but I am ready to wake up!
What I realized, is that there is something deep down inside of me that is getting sparked over and over again – and I was trying to numb it with the things of this world.
There is this passion, this love, and this deep sense of belonging, that is just trying to claw its way out. I wasn’t even hearing it before, because the noise I kept placing around me was too loud. I felt it. I felt the emptiness, the pain, the loneliness – I just couldn’t hear it.
The Race has completely ruined me, because I am never going to be satisfied with ordinary again. I am never going to be satisfied with a 9-5 job and a movie afterwards. I am never going to feel like I went out and had an adventure from a movie, because now I have actually gone out and tasted real adventure.
The Race has ruined me because I have let go of control and am completely okay with it. I don’t need to mircomanage the little bit of my life that I have control over, I need to make waves. I need to be moved by the Lord, not my feelings or desires.
The Race has ruined me, in such a good way, and it feels amazing.
I encourage you not to let fear steal your promises. If I would have let the fear I had about leaving my family, about traveling out of the country, about feeling displaced, about not having friends, about the food, the cultures, or any of that hold me back, than I would’ve missed out on so many blessings that the Lord has given me these last eight months. I would have missed out on so much growth!
Just do it. Take a chance. Explore.
Go out and have a real adventure. Tell that girl you like her, invite your friend to church, go skydiving, or bungee jumping! Just go, and do it for yourself instead of living in a fake reality.
Make a bucket list, and actually check something off of it!
America has placed so many people in perfect little bubbles. We have so many comforts and distractions that before we actually wake up, we are on our death beds realizing we let our lives pass us by. Don’t be that person who regrets not living. Just pop the bubble and feel the sensations of freedom.
Stop crippling yourself with the fear that is in the loaded questions like “what is my purpose?” and “what am I supposed to be doing?” Instead just ASK God where He wants you. And, when He tells you, which He will if you quiet yourself, be obedient and listen to what He tells you to do.
That is when you will feel like you belong.
That is when you will have direction
That is when you will truly feel fulfilled.
That is when you will have adventure.
That is when you will feel completely loved, and completely happy
That is when you will walk from glory to glory.
When you are walking the road of God’s plan for your life, there is nothing sweeter. Being in line with His will is like finding the hole you’ve always felt was missing in your life.
You are more confident, more secure, more at peace, because He is your confidence, security, and your peace. At least that has been my experience with this thing called obedience. This thing called hopeless devotion to my Lord.
Have you asked God where He wants you?
What He wants you to do with your life?
What He wants you to do with your day?
Or even just How He is?
We have a relationship with the King of all Kings. I dare you to talk to Him. To really talk to Him. Ask Him questions, sit in silence with Him, just praise Him!
He is worth it. He is the key to the desires of your heart.
