My Heart's Desire

Psalms 21:2-4 KJV

Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

What a testimony is this of King David. He can testify that all his Geary's desire had been given him and that God had answered every request in prayer.  But I have to think:

• What about  Saul's attempts on his life?
• What about years of fleeing from his own king?
• What about his separation from his good friend Jonathan (who died before David had the throne)?
• What about his estrangement from his wife Michal?

 David didn't live some sort of charmed life where everything fell into place without trial, work or moments of fear and pain. The very next Psalm begins, "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?" Neither did David's life become charmed after he ascended to the throne. He would battle the world the flesh and the devil to his dying day.

Still he could testify, "Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips." It was more than a matter of attitude because David was certainly a blessed and anointed man. But it was a choice. For this moment he elected to focus on the blessings rather than the battles.

There have been more than a few times when the battles of life and ministry seemed like they would do me in. But then there was that one moment in November of 1999 when in prayer I said to God, "You have given me everything I have ever asked for. I would like to pastor a church in the Tacoma area."

I have never gotten over that I thought that.

• I haven't gotten everything every time
• There are prayer requests that were answered "No" and
• There were other requests that haven't been answered to this day

But I can still say, right now, "God, you have given me my heart's desire and answered all my prayers."