I came late to the party. During my high school years, I considered myself an agnostic; I neither accepted nor denied the existence of a God who was present and active. I did believe in God the creator simply because the alternative theories made no sense at all. My parents did not attend church, and I have no memory of them ever talking to me (or anyone else) about faith, religion or God. Then I met a girl…and she could not remember a time she did not believe.

 

After numerous offers to attend church with her, I finally agreed to go to a Christmas Eve service at San Jose Episcopal. I had what I, in retrospect, consider my prodigal son event. I was embarrassingly moved to tears during the service and left feeling as if I’d found something I never knew I had lost. My life in the faith has been a gradual but steady growth ever since that fateful evening. And, yes, that girl and I have been married almost 39 years now.  If you know me, you know I will gladly tell anybody who will listen that she is the best thing that ever happened to me.

 

There is a period of time between the day Jesus is accepted as Savior and the decision is made to commit wholeheartedly to serve Him. For me, there was a considerable lag time between those two events. I felt certain that once I made that bold step and declared my allegiance to Him and dedicated myself to advancing His Kingdom that I would be sent to some distant and dangerous land, and that scared me to death! What actually happened was that He had me pick up my guitar and then led me to a place where I could serve Him as a musician for the Kingdom. I am eternally grateful that my Jesus showed me how to use my passion as my ministry, and to this day, there are few things that excite me more than writing and playing a new song for Him.

 

For many years, I have a claimed Psalm 37:4 as my favorite verse. It simply says:

Delight yourself in the Lord,

     and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

This piece of scripture speaks to me in ways that I cannot fully understand. There are many exhortations given by Christian leaders to follow, trust, serve, obey, etc., but delight takes on a whole different connotation. When I ask myself what delights me, my initial thoughts are music, basketball, and – first and foremost – my family. If I am truly to delight myself in the Lord, I must do so with the same enthusiasm as I do my other chosen activities.

 

When I say that I cannot fully understand this scripture, it is because the “desires of my heart” is not an obvious concept. I know what I want (that changes over the years – sometimes daily!), and I think I know what I need, but to truly know the desires of the heart (mine or anyone else’s) is above my pay grade. The notion that the Father would even consider giving me, one who is so unworthy, such an extravagant gift blows my mind!

 

I do, however, recognize the fact that I have been blessed – and very much so.  I would not trade this life that I have been privileged to share with my wife and children for all of Solomon’s riches.

 

The times I have spent leading worship, the times I have spent alone writing songs, playing guitar and pouring my heart out to the Father, the times I have spent running up and down a basketball court with friends, the times I have spent watching my beautiful daughters grow into amazing young women are all, in hindsight, absolutely desires of my heart – even though I wouldn’t have thought of them that way at the time they were taking place.

 

I would encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to live large, dream big, give God the glory He so richly deserves, live the life you have been called to live, and be willing to delight yourself in the Lord.

 

 

Rick Guerry