Most people wonder if God truly gives what our hearts desire. My brother, my sister, the answer is YES HE CAN! The Bible says: “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Yet, the main problem is that we like to read verses that suit us and remove them from their context, thus we can miss their true meaning as intended by God. Many believers are frustrated when their prayers are not answered by God, while the Bible says there are prayers you don’t need to pray less you are an unbeliever: those concerning your needs (Matthew 6:25-34). But once again, for God to be concerned with your needs and provide for God them, there is a condition: seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first! And do you think that for God to provide for your desires it will be cheaper?
Yes, my friend, if you want God to answer the desires of your heart, there are also conditions. On of them is simple if you can answer this question honestly: is your delight, your joy, in the Lord? You see, your delight and joy in this life must be first in the Lord. Another condition for God to give you what your heart desires is: are you “trusting in Him and doing good?”
Now, let’s say someone is single and struggling in their singleness, which happens most of the time because no one likes to be alone. The fact is, when someone is single, they fear what friends and family would say when they are not pressurized with the time that passes. Then they start doing their own thing, not trusting in the Lord, much less doing good by dating unbelievers and choosing an impure lifestyle. In short, this attitude shows that their joy is found in a man, not in their relationship with the Lord. But the Lord says “Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him” (verse 5). My friend, it is simple, if you want a blessed life that only God can give, then it must be a pure life because the Bible says “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Unfortunately, by trying to sort out your situation, you inevitably ignore God’s command to be still and to wait on Him. Waiting is a difficult thing to do, especially if you have been single for many years for example. At times it gets long and it may seem too hard. That is the reason why we see many singles finding it hard to endure the waiting and end up rushing into a wrong marriage. Unfortunately, God does not change His Word. My friend, if you are truly delighting in Him, trusting in Him, committing your ways to Him, and waiting on Him, yes, He will give you the desires of your heart. The Bible says He will. But God’s timing may not be your timing, so stop looking at your calendar to count the months and years of wait. Just, wait, keep waiting, don’t rush. The Lord is not going to be late in your life!
May be you are reading this and thinking: easy said than done because you might have come to the end of yourself. Then let me suggest that you now asked the Lord to change your desires if they are not His desires! I have done this in my own life. Up till now, the Lord has not given me marriage, but I delight in Him and feel fulfilled with His joy, and that is what has given me the strength to wait patiently on Him. My desires changed when I understood that I was more focused on doing what pleased me, yet wanted Him to give me the desires of my heart: from praying for marriage to blackmailing God or complaining that He did not answer me, I actually found the peace the day I started confessing that I was not alone, for I realised that the love of God was what I needed first and foremost, before a man’s love… And this brought me to understand that the key to the Christian life, whether we are single or married, is trusting and obeying God! My friend, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying there will not be times of loneliness. I’m not saying that you should not ever wonder why you are still single. What I am saying to encourage you is: trust that God had never intended man to be alone. Sometimes, it is our own wickedness and unpreparedness to the life God wants to offer us that make God’s plans to delay in our lives. However, one thing is certain: you will never ever be sorry for trusting, obeying and waiting on the Lord.
Does God give us the desires of your heart? Yes, and even more. It may be different plans or desires from yours. Nevertheless, trust Him for, He is telling you this: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Now, my friend, take heart and keep these verses in mind always as you are waiting patiently on Him. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.