I saw this verse "from" the Psalm when I logged in to Facebook this morning. And it struck me funny. A dissonant chord. First of all, it is uplifting to see people make memes of bible verses and want to share it. It is taking a stand for the gospel, it is showing heart, and it could very well encourage someone. Second, it becomes problematic, even dangerous when it looks so pretty you overlook its accuracy.
Danger is putting it mildly. When we adulterate God's word by changing the order of how it was arranged originally, we risk changing the message. And in Revelation it warns us not to add or subtract from the word of God. Not a suggestion, not a disclaimer. A straight-up warning from God.
We can easily put God's word into colloquial terms that it was never meant to be in; God's word is meant not to just be skimmed or read through but to be studied, understood and applied. That takes effort. When applying God's word it is also very important to note that we must do the best we can to filter what is in the word with the Holy Spirit's discernment and not inject our own meaning into it. Yes, we absolutely should personalize it. But, not change it so much that it becomes a reflection of a god you created and not our Holy Savior.
(I absolutely acknowledge that there are cultural references in the word as it was written, but if you notice, there is no need to give another example than what is already there. The meaning is not veiled or difficult to understand, though at times it may take some digging. What a great example for a relationship. Sometimes, certain situations [read: passages] require more effort for understanding.)
Now, back to the Psalm. The way it is written, it seems to say that there is a trade-off. If you trust in the Lord, then He will give you the desires of your heart. I have heard this adulterated version before and the other thing that comes readily to mind is that the desires of our hearts should flow from our submission and obedience to God- He is actually determining the desires of our hearts. We are so dependent upon Him that our needs and desires are like fruits of the spirit. The fruits can only be there if we are walking with God doing the LEADING. But, this verse makes it sound like we determine what we want and God rewards us for trusting him by giving us those things we admitted we desire.
In the NASB version, this verse isn't even close:
Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. |
So, in the NASB version, there is an instruction and a promise and a glimpse of consequences for those not going God's way. "Wait for the Lord" means you are hoping, trusting, expecting from God. (Strong's Commentary clarified this.) Trust is putting it too simply. It then says, "keep His way." This brings me back to leaning completely on, relying utterly on the Lord. There are some days that I wonder if I can put one foot in front of the other were it not for the Holy Spirit carrying me. Keeping His way is a daily, often moment-by-moment struggle. And yet, that portion is completely left out in this meme version.
It talks about inheriting the land. At the time, being a landowner, especially in the "right" places, was a status symbol. So, it is NOT that God will not let people prosper. It says that God will allow you to inherit land and that even implies it will be gifted to you. But the important question is why. Because you waited on the Lord and kept His way. Not wayS. Way. There is only ONE way. Doing acrobatics about what that means? The bible is clear. See John 14:6. The way, the truth, and the life is Christ- learning who He is, letting Him be Lord in your life, pointing always in the direction of His glory and trying not to falter because the effort is even a form of worship.
But, here is the kicker. The desires of our hearts. I really do not want to overuse the verse from Jeremiah that says our hearts are deceitful because they are in the fact that we are born already fallen because of Adam and we tend to go the world's way or our own way over God's way. BUT, the desires of our hearts can be equally God-glorifying if we are truly putting God's word into practice. It just comes back to the fact that this meme does not qualify the desires- it makes it sound like if we want a 20-foot yacht since we desire it, it must be good and highly probably God will provide it. The devil wants us to be ok with messing with God's word.
I just want to caution you that when someone makes a meme and says it is a bible verse, that may not be the truth. And even if it is, there is a context to take into consideration. I have to remind myself to see it through God's eyes, not to impose my own desired meaning to a text.
Psa 37:4
ReplyDeleteDelight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
This is the KJV. While this is the exact "meme" that showed up on the internet, with the wrong verse reference, the message I wrote still holds true. God is not a genie in a bottle and our desires will come to pass if they are God-given desires and IF He chooses to allow those things to come to pass. Context. Godly perspective. Danger when taken any way you want.