My Heart’s Desire (from 31 Days of Encouragement – Miriam)

“FOR YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM HIS HEART’S DESIRE; YOU HAVE HELD BACK NOTHING THAT HE REQUESTED.” Psalm 21:2

In Psalm 21 David is thanking the Lord for all he has and letting everyone know that it is a gift from the Lord. The psalm is a result of God giving David victory in battle. David had learned the importance of giving the Lord thanks whenever God helped him.

When I look back over my life I see God’s hand on every part of it, and I am so thankful! Not only that, I know that God has given me my heart’s desire. I have a husband who loves the Lord and is the spiritual leader of our home. I have three children who bless my life in so many ways and who have chosen to follow the Lord’s will for their lives. I have extended family and friends who bless my life. God has allowed me to be a part of a ministry where His word is being spread world-wide, and He’s given me a ministry with women and students where I can sing and teach from His word.

However, as I read this verse again recently, it made me think. Do I give the Lord His heart’s desire? If I understand God’s word correctly, His heart’s desire is that I worship Him – wholeheartedly and without holding back anything. Yet, I know that so often I spend more time asking Him for things and expecting so much from Him, but I hold back parts of myself. I hold back areas of my life that I think I can control better than He can. How unbelievable is that? God holds back nothing from me, yet I constantly am holding back parts of my life from Him.

When I worry about my family I am holding back complete trust in the Lord. If I trust Him with my eternal life, how can I not trust Him with my family on a day to day basis? When I am unfaithful in the time I spend in His word and with Him, I am holding back a part of myself from Him, yet He longs for me to come to Him and He is still faithful to me. In II Timothy 2:13 God’s word says, “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful….” Even when I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock instead of getting up to spend time with Him, He is still faithful, but I have missed out on precious moments with Him. In Psalm 119:2 we read, “Happy are those who…search for him with all their hearts.” If that is true, and I believe it is, then I give the Lord His heart’s desire and I make myself happy when I spend time in His word and with Him. I know from personal experience that no matter what a day brings, if I start it by spending time with the Lord, I can handle whatever comes my way.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my relationship with the Lord to be one-sided. I don’t want Him to give me my heart’s desire and I not give Him His. This is the One who gave His only Son for me so I could have eternal life. How about you? Do you hold back anything from the Lord or do you give Him His heart’s desire?