What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)?

Answer

Psalm 37:4 states, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Finding delight in the Lord means that our hearts genuinely discover peace and fulfillment in Him. If we truly find satisfaction and worth in Christ, Scripture assures us that He will fulfill the longings of our hearts. Does this imply that attending church every Sunday will result in God giving us a new Rolls Royce? No. The essence of this verse and similar ones is that when we genuinely rejoice or “delight” in the eternal things of God, our desires will align with His, and we will never be left unfulfilled. Matthew 6:33 declares, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be given to you as well.”

Many people take pleasure in wealth, status, material possessions, and other temporary things of this world, yet they are never content. They never truly attain what they desire, which is why they are always craving more. This is the lesson King Solomon grasped in his pursuit of earthly riches: “Everything is meaningless!” «Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. », (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Conversely, finding delight in the Lord is genuine treasure: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” «But godliness with contentment is great gain. », (1 Timothy 6:6).

First John 2:15–17 states, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, andThe pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” We will never be deeply fulfilled or “happy” with the things this world has to offer. If we place our joy and hope in God first, He will meet all of our needs. He will even grant our wants, as our hearts’ desires begin to match up with His will. If we truly place priority on the Lord, chances are our heart’s greatest desire will not be a brand-new Rolls Royce, but eternal treasures in Christ.

This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to delight in God’s way, He will always provide above and beyond our expectations. Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” «but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. », (John 4:14).