"You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips" - Psalm 21:2

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." - Psalm 23

There are many things in life that I want. Unfortunately, this also brings a huge amount of disappointment, frustration and resignation in my life.

I know some people interpret these verses as saying that God will provide something much better than I could ever think of. It might even be something totally different from what you have in mind, but it will definitely be better, not worse.

But if that was the case, then why doesn't the Bible just say "he will give you what is best for you?" Why do the scriptures make it a point to emphasize what I want, what I feel and what I think?

The book Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers by John Eldredge was supposed to answer this question. I took it with me to Europe, but alas, I recall reading it only twice: at Berlin Hauptbanhof waiting for the train to Amsterdam, and on the train itself when it was delayed and stuck somewhere in the Dutch countryside. As such, only the first chapter has been read, and I have not had the time to finish it.

We look at how little children pray to God, insisting that He can do everything. Of course we agree with that in theory, but in reality, its something else. I can accept that His ways are higher than my ways and that the future may be totally beyond my expectation. I think the difficulty for me lies in having to go through the waiting and even the pain of realizing how shallow my ambitions, my wants and my desires are in the long run.

"Trust in God" is always the standard answer at cell group discussions. I think it is one of the hardest things to do.