Thoughts on Psalm 20:4

Since being sick with the flu I was behind with my reading the Bible through plan that our church is doing. I was able to catch up with my reading this morning, and this Psalm was last. This is my prayer for you.

Psalm 20:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

Psalm 20:2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!

Psalm 20:3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah.

Psalm 20:4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psalm 20:5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

Psalm 20:6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 20:8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

Psalm 20:9 O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

As I was reading over this Psalm again just now, I thought I would share something about verse 4 that I learned within the past year. Here is verse 4 again:

Psalm 20:4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Back in 1995 I was going through a difficult time, which continues today. I have my old Bible from that time, and it was one that I frequently wrote notes in, as well as highlighted many verses in. Our family was going to an Assemblies of God church at the time, and I was heavily steeped in their theology. When I read verses like verse 4 above, I thought it meant what "my" heart's desires were, and that He would fulfill all of "my" plans. The key word there being "my." I had no idea my life was to be lived to the glory of God, nor that when I became a believer it wasn't about "me" and what "I" wanted, but that it was all about God, and what HE wanted. I need to insert here that during that time I believed myself to be a believer when in reality I was not. I came to realize after I was saved that God DOES grant us our heart's desires and fulfill our plans because as Christians our lives are no longer our own, and it is no longer our wills we want, and our ways, but HIS. That was simple, yet profound for me when I grasped that.