Desires of Thine Heart

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 37:4-5) KJV

Can a desire of the heart be a godly thing? How can we have a godly desire if we’re told a) not to covet and b) that our optimal state of mind should be contentment?

If we’re supposed to be content with food and clothing, how can it be good to desire anything? After all, how can we trust our own heart?

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

(Jeremiah 17:9) NKJV

The heart is going to desire all kinds of things, and it’s going to lead us into a world of temptation if we let it.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

(James 3:13-18) KJV

So how can we know if God is giving us a perfect gift from above, the desire of our hearts, rather than we allowing ourselves to be fooled by our own hearts?

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

(1 Timothy 6:6-10) KJV

How do we know what is the desire of our heart? What is a foolish and hurtful lust?

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

(Romans 13:8-10) KJV

Can we use a process of elimination to deduce the desire of our heart, rather than a foolish and hurtful lust?

Deducing the Desires of the Heart

• Where are we in our walk?
  1. Delight – are you delighted by God?
  2. Commit – have you committed your way to the Lord?
  3. Trust – are you trusting in the Lord?
• Are we content? Are we able to forget about our desires so that we are going to be happy, whether or not we get them fulfilled?
• Can the desire be obtained if you follow all of the requirements below?
  1. Owe no man any thing – don’t borrow money to obtain it,
  2. Adultery – It can’t be someone’s wife,
  3. Kill – it can’t be someone’s death,
  4. Steal – you can’t obtain it by theft,
  5. False witness – you can’t obtain it by lying,
  6. Covet – it can’t belong to someone else,
  7. Love – can obtaining it be done as an act of love?

---