- Fulfill Desire, Hear and Save
Psalm 145:19
He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him:
He also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The condition for this promise is fear of God: those who fear the Lord can claim three promises. He will: fulfill their desire, hear their cry, and save them. “Fulfill the desire” is more pointed than the more general “satisfy desire” in verse 16. Those who fear God and walk His ways have a “desire” to keep His commandments, even though they fail daily and often. Believers remain sinners and still disobey, but their desire is still for God and His laws. God promises to fulfill that desire of followers to know Him, to love Him, to serve and obey Him better and better. The “new man” in the believer has a different desire than the “old man.” We must believe this promise that the desire of the regenerated spirit within us will be fulfilled: 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Our inner nature is being renewed day by day.”
Second, He will hear their cry = He will answer their prayers: the Lord will answer the prayers and the cries of the faithful believer in all their ways, but He especially hears the cry to be forgiven and incrementally made into better people. God loves to hear that cry: “Change me, Help me to walk in your ways.” Jesus promises: [Matthew 7:11, “…How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” The Lord loves to hear this cry: “Forgive me, change me, make me better.”
Then, in that context, He will save us. God promises to save us from the desires of the old man, that is, the flesh that listens to the temptations of Sin, Death and Devil. Salvation involves saving from and saving for, from sinful desires for holy desires, from selfish desires to godly desires. By saving the godly man, the God-fearer, the person who believes in Jesus, He fulfills their godly desire and hears their prayer. When you turn your life over to the Lord (by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel) you receive a wonderful promise like this: He will fulfill your desire to live a better life and become a better person.