Heart's Desire?

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 

I was spending time with some friends before Christmas.  When it was time to leave, one of them told all of us "I hope God gives you the desires of your heart."  While that may seem like a friendly and encouraging sentiment, on the way home it struck me....if I were given the desires of my heart, that would be a very bad thing.  There would be some whose entire lineage would disappear from time.  I would be the one with the biggest paycheck instead of pinching pennies.  There would be only one law of the land....mine.  You see, my heart harbors some very dark desires that should NEVER be released.  Pandora's Box has nothing on the evil that lurks in the shadows of my heart.

Instead of seeking the desires of my own heart, it would be proper and much better on the general populace if I prayed that God would change my heart, change my desires, clear my heart of shadowy places, and help me focus on God's desire for my life.  As the Psalmist declares in Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me."

Perhaps we should start 2018 praying Psalm 51:10 every day.  "Father, Create in ME a clean heart and renew a loyal spirit within me THIS DAY.  I praise You and Thank You for loving me enough to cleanse me and renew me and call me by name and using me for Your purposes."  Think about it!