desires...

May he grant you your heart's desire,
and fulfill all your plans.

Psalm 20:4

what is it that i desire? it seems that we have translated passages like this to mean that God will bless us with all the material blessings that we want. we have turned the gospel into something to do with worldly prosperity. and what happens when He doesn't give us material possessions? does it mean that He is punishing us?

perhaps God gives us more than material possessions. perhaps our heart's desire is something that is God-given... not human created.

st. john of the cross went through what he called the dark night of the soul. it was during this time that everything was stripped away from him. in this time, he was challenged to love God, even when this came with no extra blessings. could i love God if i went through a job-like experience... a dark night of the soul?

it was during this time that st. john discovered the most amazing thing, though. he realized that God was the blessing. he realized that God is in fact giving all that He can give, which is much, much more than material blessings. God gives us Himself. this is our heart's desire. God has created us with a God-shaped hole in our souls that only He can fill. and He fills it with Himself. we see this in psalm 20:7. it states, "some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God."

perhaps we will discover that when we recognize that God is what we desire, our plans are shaped by what He plans for us. for when we desire God alone, we are able to truly participate in His life and work in the world.

cheers,
jw <><