by Kala Loptien

Aligned with God

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 ESV

This is a verse we’ve had mounted on our wall for years. At face value, it seems like a classic “if, then” equation. If I just pray harder, read the Bible every day and attend worship every Sunday, then God will answer. If I stay on a straighter path, step into service more often and treat people kindly, then God will surely give me what I desire.

For a number of years, I wondered if this was the correct interpretation. I had heard it used in that context as a source of encouragement. We like having goals and tasks that take us to the next step. It’s why so many religions are works based. It’s easier to wrap our minds around results-driven behavior because we’ve been conditioned by the world to operate that way. At the root of our problem is a monster of an issue. It’s something we seem to want more of and can’t stand to lose…

Control.

Control keeps us from truly delighting in the Lord because we’re too focused on ourselves. Control robs us of the present moment and, ironically, leaves us feeling completely helpless. We tend to hold tightly to that which was never even ours. All our blessings are actually His. All of them.

What we start to learn is that God is ultimately in control, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. He is the creator of heaven and earth. He directs all our steps and always knows what’s best. Reading Psalm 37 in its entirety helps us see a bit clearer. What we desire and what the Lord gives is salvation. Jesus is our righteousness. When we delight, trust and commit, we find that our desires are aligned with the Lord’s. We seek first His kingdom and receive righteousness because of Jesus. As God continues to draw us closer, we entrust Him with our life and all He has given us. After all, He is our shepherd. We have everything we need.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado