The Yearing of Our Hearts

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Just because you have a desire to do something does not mean it will be easy. I discovered that firsthand recently.

For years I had it in mind that an Alaska cruise would be spectacular. So, for those who were able to go, our family decided to plan the trip.

There was a lot of planning that took place, things like having a passport, booking airline tickets, planning excursions, and paying for all of this. There was also packing the right clothes. I am not sure everyone was looking forward to the trip, after all this was my bucket list, but because this family loves me, they did all the necessary planning for the trip.

After a year of talking about the trip and planning the time had come, so we left Alabama travelling to the airport in Atlanta, flying from Atlanta to Calgary with a four-hour layover which was only supposed to be an hour and a half. Then flying from Calgary to Vancouver. We arrived at our hotel at three o’clock in the morning after waiting for the shuttle for over an hour.

I was thankful we didn’t give up. There were times I thought that the trip was to expenses for everyone, and we should just forget the whole thing. I felt selfish and yet we continued. Then driving to Atlanta was treacherous and I prayed, “Lord, please get us to the airport unharmed.” The airline we were travelling with would not except our baggage until our flight was closer and the security line was so long, I wondered if we would ever make our flight.

The journey was long and hard. Weary is an understatement of what we were all feeling. But now it was time to travel to the ship and settle into our beautiful staterooms. My tired body was thinking, “We made it, the hard part was over, and now we could all relax and enjoy Alaska. I am thankful for the planning because giving up once we began was not an option.

The Apostle Paul had a zeal for the Lord and to serve him with his whole life. He wanted to make an impact for the Kingdom of God, but this desire came with trials. In short it was not easy!

2 Corinthians 11:22-33 records the suffering he endured in order to give his life to the ministry of the gospel. Paul faced prison, flogging, beatings with rods, and being lost at sea. He went without sleep, food, or water. His desire to serve the Lord made our travelling to Alaska a piece of cake.

I am so grateful that Paul never gave up. He listened to God and was used mightily in the lives of those who lived during his time. And because of his perseverance his epistles still speak to us today. I am also thankful that our God never gives up on His plan or on His people.

I am grateful that God gives His children godly desires, but just because the desires come from Him, does not mean they will be easy. Remember we live in a fallen world with fallen people. We also have an enemy who wants to defeat God’s Kingdom. Our job is to persevere and trust the Lord’s power and sovereignty.

Pray with me

Heavenly Father,

Give us strength to persevere even when things are hard. In fact, Lord, help us praise You when we run into difficulties. Help us know we can rest in Your goodness and Your strength. We praise You because You will be our guide. In Jesus’ name, amen!

For encouragement read

Psalm 116:12-14 and Psalm 119:133-134