A Heart Like Play-Doh!

My kids and I love to play with play-doh! We have all kinds of little machines that make the play-doh into different shapes and sizes. We usually make a huge mess and, even after we clean-up, we often find little pieces of play-doh for days. Suffice it to say, it's a whole lot of fun!

The last time we played together, we ran across some play-doh that had grown hard. We couldn't even get it out of the container. There was some, however, that was salvageable. I softened it up by rubbing it for a while in my hands. Soon enough, it became pliable again and ready to be shaped. Back to the little machines!

There's a verse in the Bible that talks about play-doh...well, sort of!  It says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4 NIV). Many times, the second half of this verse is emphasized when it is quoted. We all want God to give us the desires of our heart. But in order to understand the true meaning of this verse, a close look at the first part is essential.

The word "delight" is the Hebrew word "anag' which means to become soft, delicate and dainty. It paints the picture of a potter working with a piece of clay. Like the clay, God has a way of shaping us as we surrender to Him. The more time we allow for this, the more our hearts become one with His. Soon, His desires become our desires and he fulfills His will for our lives. While this can be scary at times, we can rest in the fact that God has our very best in mind. It's up to us to trust Him.

So, the next time you run across some play-doh, think about what it means to delight yourself in the Lord. Ask God to make you like the soft stuff and be sure that he will not throw you in one of those little machines. God's hands are big enough to do the shaping all by themselves.