In this episode of the Weekday Podcast, Pastor Chuck reflects on Psalm 37:3-4, where he encourages listeners to trust in the Lord and find fulfillment in His will, rather than chasing after fleeting desires. He compares the pursuit of worldly wants to a child's desire for more gumballs, suggesting that God's "no" can be a form of protection and provision. He highlights that when we delight in God, He transforms our desires to align with His will, bringing peace and contentment. Pastor Chuck urges listeners to trust God’s plan over their own and to pause and seek His guidance in decision-making, as God's will leads to lasting fulfillment.
Hi, everybody. Pastor Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast.
And today I want to go back to where I was preaching about the other day. In Psalm 37:3-4 the text says, "trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Now, there's a subtle but dangerous trap that we fall into. The constant pursuit of what we want, our wants.
We often think that if we could just get what we want, we'd be happier, we'd be more content, maybe we'd be more at peace. But the truth is, our wants are never satisfied. You know how I know that? We're human. We live in a world that tells us we always need more. More success, more recognition, more comfort, more education, more money.
I mean, God's will for us isn't about chasing what we want. It's about finding true fulfillment in him living in his will versus our want. Let's think about this, practically. What's something you've chased after in this life? Maybe it was a promotion, a dream vacation, maybe even a new car or truck or a boat. How long did that satisfaction last? Probably not as long as you'd hoped for. That's because our wants are temporary, even when gained. But God's will is eternal, always.
I shared a story the other day when I was preaching about one of my grandsons wanting gumballs. We have this gumball machine in the corner of our front room, and after he'd had a couple of them, he wanted another. And finally, after, you know, they'd had what seemed like 84 gumballs, I finally said, no more. But the grandson wasn't happy. I mean, he was freaking out, melting down a little bit, like kids do. Oh, and by the way, kind of like adults do. I just had to say, no, it's not about that. You want another one? It's what's good for you. So he got a glass of milk.
Sometimes I think God looks at us and he says, no, no more gumballs, son. You need a glass of milk. We're just like that with God. Just like that little dude. We keep asking for more, more, more. And when God says, that's enough, we get frustrated, melt down have a tantrum. But what if God's no is actually his protection? And often, if not usually, it's his provision. What if God is saying, I have something better for you? You just can't see it yet. You know, oftentimes what we forget is that we're living life from beginning to end. But God sees it from the end back to the beginning.
Psalm 37 says, Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. But notice that it doesn't say he'll give you whatever you want. It says, he'll give you the right desires. When we delight in God and we fall into his will and not our wants, he transforms our heart and he helps us want what he wants for us. And that's where we find peace. That's where we find fulfillment, and that's where we discover contentment. So how do you do that? Well, we start by trusting God. Trust means letting go of control and saying, God, I believe your plan is better than mine. That's super hard to do. It is for me, especially when I feel like I know what's best for me. You ever been there? But trust is the key to moving from wanting more to living in God's will.
So this week, pause before you make any decision and ask yourself this question. Am I chasing my wants or have I sought after God's will? Then spend just two minutes in prayer with your hands open, saying, 'God, I don't want to move forward without your guidance. Would you show me your will?' Let's face it, friends, God's milk is better than the world's gumballs. Always.
God bless you, friend. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
