“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
I desire to love my wife well, to look at my wife as the most beautiful woman on the planet, and to see my wife as God sees her, a daughter of the Most High. These are desires that every husband should esteem for. But does it happen naturally? Does it happen 100% of the time? Certainly not. Let’s face it, we are men, we screw up. Just open up your Bible and look at the men of God who time and time again royally screwed up. From Moses, to Peter, to King David. But what’s the common theme among these men, including us today, that plagues them? Failure to trust in God. Allowing bravado, selfishness, doubt, and things of the world to overshadow God’s wisdom and guidance. Loving your wife well starts with putting God first!
David assures us in Psalm 37 that when we delight in the Lord, when we trust in God, he will give us the desires of our heart. I think the same is true when we don’t trust in God. When we desire things apart from God, he gives us those as well. But ultimately, God wants us to willingly delight in Him!
His desire for you as a husband is fulfilled when you put your trust in Him.
In Psalm 37 King David is speaking from years of experience, decades of falling down and getting back up again. He has learned what it feels like to delight in the Lord, and learned what it feels like to delight in the world. But throughout the psalm he says, “Do not fret.” David has seen the results of putting God first and knows there is great reward for all who do the same.
Men, do not fret, delight in the Lord, He is faithful. Put God first in ALL that you do and guaranteed he will make you a better husband, a better father, a better leader.
During our dating years my wife and I experienced a lot of heartache, a lot of ups and downs. And if I’m being honest I attribute most of that to myself and my actions. I was a terrible boyfriend. I had spent a majority of my twenties apart from God, living only for myself. I didn’t know what it meant to live for God, let alone how to trust in Him and how to treat a woman. It was always me first, my feelings, my selfish desires. When her actions didn’t line up with my needs I ran the other way. Building a gulf in between us. For years I skated by as a sub-par boyfriend. I didn’t love her well, I didn’t look at her as the most beautiful woman on the planet, and certainly not as God saw her and still sees her.
It wasn’t until I surrendered my selfishness that I began to see significant change. I put it all on the table before God. I prayed that I could and would love her well, that I would see her as beautiful. I put God first.
Ashley and I have been married for 1 year and 5 months. Marriage is hard, and takes a lot of work. But to be honest this has been the greatest 17 months of my life. I’m sure you marriage vets are getting a good chuckle out of my 17 months of experience. But in over 7 years of being with this woman I have never been more in love with her than I am today. My affection for her grows by the minute. Everyday her beauty shines through in a greater and more unique way than I ever thought was possible.
Men, God WILL give you the desires of your heart. He WILL give you a love for your wife that you never thought possible. Do not fret. Trust in the Lord. Put God first.
Steve Glick
Follow @stevieglick