“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 37:3-5
“For thou shalt worship no other god; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14
Our weekly Christian devotional
“If I only had a husband…then I could really serve God.” Heather fixes her gaze on the road ahead, her long hair dancing with the wind.
Turning up the radio, she dispels the silence. A hope for adventure flickers in her dark eyes.
People are funny. Isn’t it crazy how most of us desire whatever it is we don’t have? Anyone who knows me has heard my longings to be a leggy Erin Andrews type armed with a doctorate in Psychology. But, let’s be honest here. That’s never gonna happen…
In direct contrast to Heather’s convictions; I’ve often caught myself wondering how much could be accomplished for God if I didn’t have my husband’s laundry, dinner or cleaning to think about…
Like a ball of yarn tumbling down stairs, life rapidly unravels. Like it or not, everyday that comes to an end is another that will never be seen again.
This often makes me wonder—when the desires of our heart (even good things–like husbands, job promotions and good grades) are delayed what’s really going on? Does God see? Does He even care? As I read Psalms 37:3-5, it’s plain to see He cares very much. In fact, God is drawing us…
In this fast-paced world, God gives us a chance to tap into His supernatural one. He is inviting us into another world–one not limited by time or space; a place filled with love and refreshment, not deadlines or earthly confinements.
In our furious scramble to accomplish, it makes sense to stop for a breathless minute and ask: Are we missing the point? After reading Psalms 37:3-5, I get the strong distinction that BEING PRESENT WITH God is the very essence of life that gives life to all we do!
As I read Psalms 37:3-5 this is what I hear:
“Stay with me. Let’s not focus on all that other stuff. I love you. Trust that I have your back.”
In the pursuit of my own dreams, I shamefully admit to pushing aside ‘delighting myself’ in the Lord.
“There’ll be plenty of time for that later.”
I’ve comforted myself with this lie more often than I’d like to admit. The tragic truth is, ‘later’ never seems to come. So, my delight in Him continues to elude me…
Is the “If only…” song echoing in your heart during the quiet of the night?
Do you feel a gaping hole in your soul?
Are you anxiously scrambling to fill it?
And when you actually do, does it ever really feel complete?
Pursue God. Your heart is longing for something this world can’t offer. As much as I’m encouraging you, I’m also reminding myself not to get distracted by filling up on this life’s cheap substitutions.
Until a change of heart happens, why would God bother answering our prayers? Especially if those prayers are filled with requests that would only supply another god to worship…
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I see that my pursuits have been backwards.
I’ve already decided who my God is—and I’ve unashamedly prayed for you to bless me with every one of them.
In doing this, I have been worshiping the desires of my own heart above the God who is pursing mine.
Lord, why would you continue to chase someone like me? I only come to you when I hit my low points. Then when I get confident in my self-sufficiency, I drop you like a dead weight.
My God—forgive me! This cycle has happened over and over…yet, you continue pulling on my heart.
Lord, I keep falling in love with the wrong things—people, goals and dreams.
Today, I drop it all, Lord. My hands and heart are open to you. Only YOU. Fill my aching heart.
Show me what I have been missing.
Lord, renew my heart. You promised your children so much and I see that my own stubborn and selfish ways have stopped those blessings.
In Jesus’ name, this maddening cycle ends. I am Yours, Lord. Amen.”
Thank you for reading our weekly Christian devotional on verses: Psalms 37:3-5, Exodus 34:14
Please check back and see what we have for you next week!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” –C.S. Lewis
Photo credit: Jessica Drossin