DELIGHT IN GOD AND HE WILL GRANT US OUR HEART’S DESIRES?

 

What does Psalm 37:4 actually mean?

Does it mean when we delight in God, He is bound to fulfil our desires, like giving us our dream job, car or house? Or the life partner of our dreams?

Let us study this verse in its context (in relation to the other verses in this chapter).

If we study these other verses, we will realise that we are to trust in God and do good (verse 3), commit our way to God (verse 5), wait patiently and not fret (verse 7). These attitudes and actions on our part all show that we delight in Him. And it means we are not allowing circumstances or people to affect our lives in a significant way.

But delighting in God has deeper implications.

• It means coming before God in worship and adoration because of His unmatched attributes: His greatness and majesty, His love and justice.
  

• It means we delight in spending time in God’s presence: studying his Word, meditating on it, praying and listening to the Spirit’s leading.

• It means we remember God’s past mercies and faithfulness towards us (Psalm 77:11).

And when we delight ourselves in God in all these ways, we will experience His reward: He will give us our heart’s desires … not necessarily what the world hankers for (big houses and flashy cars) but what our sanctified desires look forward to (more ways to praise and thank Him, more ways to serve God and experience His empowering).

Caveat: God may bless us materially when we delight ourselves in Him. For the reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honour and life (Proverbs 22:4).

But that should not be our ultimate aim. If it comes as a by-product of our finding delight in Him, then well and good. If not, we still praise God and give Him the glory. 

Anyway, don’t you think if we spend so much time delighting in God, won’t the main focus of our desires switch from temporal things to something far more lasting and significant?