An old say states, “Confession is good for the soul.”
Well, revenge is sweet. Or at least that must be what I (we) think.
When a car speeds by me or cuts me off–I know I would “delight” to see them pulled over by a policyman.
But how do we avoid seeking vengeance? I think that one of the key points of Psalm 37.
Psalm 37 open with a series of 15 commands, the first two are a challenge to not become fearful or envious of evildoers in light of the temporal nature of their existence.
David go on to challenge his readers to trust God–He is truthworthy even when evildoers abound, and a series of other commands directed at the readers relationship with God.
In the middle of the series of command, verse 4
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. (ESV)
The promise is based on the command. This is not a blank promise to give us everything we want, but to reward us when we delight in the Lord.
We have any number of instincts, but very few desires. Desire is what you determine in your mind and settle in your heart and set yourself towards as good, and that is the thing God will fulfill if you delight in Him–that is the condition. (Oswald Chambers, Biblical Ethics. Hants, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1996, c1947.)
When God becomes our consuming focus—the center of our affection—in whom we place our trust and hope, in whom we are overcome in love–then He gives us the desires of our hearts, which in reality will be: more of Him, more evidence of him, more ability to glorify Him, more ways to enjoy him and make Him known.
The more we are passionately impressed with God–the more our desires, our passions are His.
