Devotional By Gabe Marcus
In continuation with our series on “God’s Work in You,” BC sophomore Gabriel Marcus is sharing a timely encouragement for our hearts. Let’s find a quiet space to intentionally receive this awesome word.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. - Psalm 37:3-5
Have you ever gone through a bad storm in your life? Have you ever asked God for something that you wanted so bad and never got it? Have you ever looked back at this scripture and wonder why you prayed with this scripture by your side but didn't get exactly what you asked for? Let me ask you this, have you ever gotten something a lot better than what you prayed for? I truly believe this is where a lot of people look over this scripture in the wrong way. Christians will look at this scripture and believe that if they follow God and take delight in him then what they prayed for will be answered the way they want it, but that is looking at it with the wrong heart. Let me help you switch your perspective. The truth about this scripture is when you truly take delight in the Lord and have the right heart, God's desire and perfect will for your life will start to become the desires of your heart because you are truly giving God your everything. Here are 3 ways I believe that you can do this
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
You can truly get to know God when you spend time worshiping Him. Spend time praying to Him, and spend time in the Word reading your Bible with Him. When you do this, God will see that you are pursuing him and wanting a deeper relationship with Him which will bring Him joy because He wants us to get to know Him more.
John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Now you may be thinking, “Isn't this implied for when you're praying?” The answer is yes, but you also want to talk to the Holy spirit throughout the day. When you keep that relationship going throughout the day, it will keep growing stronger. And the more you pray, the more you will know God's voice. When you know God's voice, He can lead you in the way He truly wants you to go. And because of that, the Lord will be delighted.
Matthew 22:37 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
This is one of the biggest things you can do to take delight in the Lord. The reason why loving God first is so important is because God wants us to love Him more than anything and to put Him first before anything. We should want to do that for Him, especially for everything He has done for us. When we truly Love and put God first, He will be at the center of our life and everything (like the desires of our heart) will just start to fall into place. The Lord will take great delight in that.
“Lord, I want to know You more. I want to truly know what You have planned for me and where You are leading me. I pray that You would plant Your perspective into my life and into my thoughts so that I would have a renewal in my mind. God, give me the discipline to pursue You, to know You more so that this discipline becomes a desire. Help me to talk to You more so I know how to listen for You when I need to. God help me love and put you first above all else so that I know the perfect will you have for my life. Help me to know your desires and perfect will for my life will become my desires. Amen.”
