Anything Your Heart Desires

In 1940 the animated feature film Pinocchio premiered. Based on Carlo Collodi’s story of a wooden puppet who became a real boy, Walt Disney’s classic endures for many reasons. With humor and heart, the film shows the virtues of being brave, truthful, and unselfish. With the help of his conscience, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio learns right from wrong and that his actions have real consequences. The movie is perhaps best loved for the song, “When You Wish Upon a Star.” The combination of Leigh Harline’s music and Ned Washington’s lyrics won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song’s opening verse says, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.” And while Christians should not place their trust in wishing stars, the idea that the desires of your heart will become yours is a scriptural one.

The psalmist David declared, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass” (Psa 37:4-5). Each one of us should take the time to examine our own heart’s desires. What sort of things do you want to have in life? What sort of person do you want to be? Are your desires tied to material things or are they more spiritual in nature? And what are you doing to achieve those goals?

Those who are faithful to God receive their heart’s desires. When we seek to please our Heavenly Father, we align our hearts and our will to His teaching. We grow to love all that is good and to hate evil (Psa 97:10; 119:104; Pro 8:13; Mt 22:37-38). One who loves his Creator finds association with God and service to Him and among His people to be an absolute joy! Therefore, the desires of our heart precisely match His desires for us. Christians walk with the Lord in the light, being in perfect agreement (Amos 3:3; 1 Jn 1:7). Abiding in Him, we are continually equipped and trained for greater spiritual service (Jn 15:2; Eph 6:10; 2 Tim 3:16-17). Those who delight in God desire to have true fellowship with Him and perform honorable service in His Kingdom. God enables us to do just that through Christ’s sacrifice and His doctrine.

In a sense, those who are wicked also get their heart’s desires. If you are set on seeking carnal pursuits, then God will allow you to experience how disappointing those things truly are (Psa 81:11-12; Rom 1:24-25). Jesus said, “when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Mt 6:2). Glory from men is certainly a weak reward in comparison to praise from God. Recognition, fame, and the opinions of mankind are ultimately worthless (Lk 16:15; Gal 1:10). Likewise earthly wealth becomes a great disappointment to man’s soul in the end (Lk 12:13-21). May we learn to wish for greater things. Let us set our heart’s desire on spiritual success!