Just Around the Riverbend

                When I was a little girl, I used to love the Disney movie Pocahontas. The songs were amazing and Pocahontas had the impossible decision to make between marrying a man her father approved of or pursing a man she was in love with. The wise Grandmother Willow then gave her the life altering advice to “listen to your heart” and the decision to follow this advice shaped the rest of her future. I have often seen this theme repeated in movies, shows, and literature that in order to clarify one’s future he must ask himself “What do I want?” I think this has become another lie sold to us in our culture witch gains its strength by being founded in truth.

                Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” Most people consider this to be a notion in support of the “follow your heart” motto; however, Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” By this we are left to understand that Psalm 37:4 could not be telling us to follow our own deceitful hearts, but must mean something else. The more I come to know the Lord, the more He fills my heart with His desires. I am no longer interested in getting enough money to secure my future, because I trust the Lord for my security. Now I have the freedom to use what money I do have to bless those around me. Similarly, I no longer try to make the most of my life by experiencing as much pleasure for myself as possible, but with knowledge of eternity and the vast amount of pleasures to come, I make the most of my life by sharing with others about Christ while I have the chance. When we continue to follow God, he gives our heart desire for love and then completes our joy by giving us the love we crave. He puts in us a desire to accomplish the purpose for which He created us and then gives us the pleasure of being able to fill that purpose.

                Have I bought in to this lie that to be happy I must ask myself what I want? Do I believe that God has made me for His purpose? Do I believe that I will not be truly happy doing anything other than what He has made me for? How can I change my attitude to accept the desires that God wants to place in my heart?

                Lord, thank You for giving my life purpose and meaning. Please put Your desires in my heart and help me to pursue those desires with all of my life. Thank You for never placing joy and fulfillment out of my reach. Amen.