Trusting God with the Desires of Your Heart

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I bought pears from the grocery store yesterday that aren’t quite ripe. This is the conversation that has been going on in my home for the last 24 hours between me and Abigail (3):

Abbey: (Upon seeing me enter the kitchen with a bag of pears) “PEARS!!!!! Can I have one?”
Me: “Let’s feel them – oh, sorry! They aren’t ripe yet, sweetie! We’ll have to wait awhile.”
**5 minutes later**
Abbey: “Momma, are the pears ripe yet?”
Me: “No, sweetie, sorry. It’s going to take a couple of days.”
Abbey: (hands slamming against face in frustration) “WHYYY? I want a pear NOW!”
Me: “Ripening takes time. I’ll let you know when they are ready.”
Abbey: “ok!”
*5 minutes later*
Abbey: “Are they ripe yet?”
Me: (sigh).

The Right Thing at the Wrong Time

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We’ve all been in Abbey’s shoes at one time or another in life. We see the fruit (or the job, spouse, house, family, trip, opportunity, you fill in the desire of your heart) we want. It’s within reach.

But there is something coming in between us and our desire – it’s just not the right time. It’s not ready yet.

Rushing or forcing a desire or dream (even a clearly God-ordained desire) into reality before it’s perfect time only leads to frustration and negative results.

Just ask Abraham. Miracle of miracles, at the ripe old age of 100 God promised him a son. And in a moment of stargazing with God, he was filled with faith that his descendants would indeed be “as numerous as the sand in the seashore.”

Rushing Life Brings Rotten Fruit

I guess it took a little too long for Abe, because he and Sarah decided to, um, make it happen their own way. In their impatience, they produced a son like they had wanted, but in the process they hurt another person deeply and disobeyed God as well.

Their desire for a son wasn’t wrong. Taking matters into their own hands was. God was able to redeem the situation, fulfilled his promise to them regardless, and promised to care for both of Abraham’s sons.

But their hasty decision born of impatience would bring negative consequences of conflict for generations to come.

Worth Waiting For

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This Scripture has often been misinterpreted to mean, “If you love God, he will give you whatever you want.”

Not the case. My love for my daughter is strong; Therefore,  if she pouts at me with her blonde curls bouncing, tears falling down her adorable face, I WILL NOT GIVE HER AN UNRIPE PEAR. Because I know it isn’t ready for her yet. What she expects to be juicy won’t be as palatable to her and may even make her stomach hurt.

When we delight in the Lord, we take exquisite delight in Him. That means that we treasure Him more than anything else we may desire.

As we delight in him, his goodness and his love, we learn that we can trust Him to filter our desires and give us what is truly best.

Abbey can trust me to give her a yummy pear when it is ripe and ready. You and I can trust God as a kind and loving Father to give us good and perfect gifts in His time.

And his gifts in his timing never bear bad fruit.

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Writer/Editor

Laura M. Thomas is writer and editor at This Eternal Moment. A homeschooling mom to three little girls, she loves writing, reading, the great outdoors, and afternoon nap times.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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