”Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 37:4 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
Delight in the Lord
“T he Psalmist, in Psalm 37:4, exhorts you and me to “delight in the Lord“. He did this as one of his eight (8) exhortations to the Israelite then, and you now.
So, you need to appreciate that what David penned in this Psalm, targeted the people of God then, and the people of God now. David wanted God’s people to reflect or meditate on their reactions to evil people or wrongdoers.
Do not fret because of the “prosperity” of evil people or wrongdoers
Specifically, David, in Psalm 37, told the Israelites not to fret because of the “prosperity” of the evil people or wrongdoers (Psalm 37:1). He revealed that such people would soon wither like the grass or die away like green plants (Psalm 37:2).
Essentially, David asserted that the “prosperity” of evil people or wrongdoers was for a limited time. Therefore, their “prosperity” and lives were temporary.
Consequently, you need not be angry or incensed concerning evil people or wrongdoers. This is because their actions and “prosperity” are temporary.
Thereafter, David exhorted and continues to exhort God’s people to:
- Trust in the Lord and do good (Psalm 37:3a)
- Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture (Psalm 37:3b)
- Delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)
- Commit your way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5a)
- Trust in God (Psalm 37:5b)
- Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7)
- Refrain from anger and turn from wrath (Psalm 37:8a)
- Turn from evil and do good (Psalm 37:27a).
Delight in the Lord
Therefore, since my concern is verse 4, I will concentrate on the Psalmist’s exhortation for you and me to “Delight in the Lord”. But what is to “take delight in the Lord?”
To “delight in the Lord” is to find pleasure, joy, or contentment in God, His ways, commands, and your relationship with Him (Psalm 16:11 and 1:2). It is also to love Him wholeheartedly (Matthew 6:33) and in a fully devoted manner. And remember, your heart will be where your treasure is (Matthew 6:21), and when you draw near to God, He draws near to you (James 4:8).
Age-old dilemma
Interjectedly, you have to note that in this psalm, David, ponders on an age-old dilemma. Often, evil people prosper while the righteous struggle, for example, to pay the bills and provide for their families.
This may, therefore, make you even wonder what the benefit of finding pleasure, joy, or contentment in God is. You may even contemplate just doing things the world’s way (the evil peoples’ or wrongdoers’ way).
But as dire as his situation was, he knew it was temporary. He wrote Psalm 37 to encourage God’s people to see things through a divine lens. To realize that the spiritual things far outweigh the physical ones. Because the fact is that the wicked and their wealth will one day perish (Psalm 37:20).
The spiritual inheritance of the godly will endure forever
However, the spiritual inheritance of the godly will “endure forever” (Psalm 37:18). The things of this world are fleeting and temporary but the things that only God can give will remain for eternity.
Therefore, “delight in the Lord” is an invitation to seek a loving relationship with God. And in loving Him, we will discover that our priorities are properly aligned and our hearts tuned to know what is really valuable and what is not. Then we will see that what we have in Him is our heart’s greatest desire.
Specifically, it is to:
- trust and obey God,
- submit to His will (to commit your ways to Him), and
- wait patiently for Him to intervene in your situation.
Consequently, God will grant you your requests or petitions (protection, provision, justice, love, and faithfulness). And the most encouraging fact is that He knows your needs even before you request or petition Him on the same.
Prayer/Blessing
May you take delight in the Lord. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Revelation 21-22 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
