Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 ESV)
Elections and Love
Elections tend to refocus us away from our first love. During this season, we think more about candidates than about Christ. We worry more about winning than about… not worrying. We get angry about the mistakes of other voters, instead of being angry about our own sin. We polarize, separate, assume, accuse, and fume. We could be knowing the Lord’s blessings, rejoicing in the Lord’s presence, and dancing along with David.
I am not able to delight in the election, but I can delight in the Lord. I am not able to delight in the candidate’s behavior, but I can delight in the Lord’s hands. I am not able to delight in the obnoxious advertising, but I can delight in the Lord’s Word. I am not able to delight in the self-justification, but I can delight in the Lord’s holiness. I am not able to delight in the name-calling and conclusion-leaping, but I can delight in the Lord’s knowledge. I am not able to delight in fear and doomsday-expectation, but I can delight in the Lord’s Day.
I am not able to delight in hatred, but I can delight in the Lord.
Maybe ‘delight in the Lord’ refers simply to the Lord’s Love.
He promises us that if we focus in HIM, if we are excited about HIM, if we gleefully cling to HIM, He will give us the desires of our heart.
He is not promising us that our candidate will win. He is not promising us we will get whatever we want. He is not promising us joy because of November 3.
He is promising us faith, hope, and love.
What more do His people desire?
Take the love God grants us.