Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Psalm 37:4
Delight in Him
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” But what does it mean to delight in the Lord? First of all, it’s directed inwardly and says that if we delight in God, He will give us the desires of our heart. That doesn’t mean He’ll give us every single thing we want because if our delight is truly in the Lord, we’ll delight in doing things that delight Him. Picture a young child opening a Christmas present and finding their favorite toy. That’s what delight is.
Commit Your Way
If you are seeking the desires of your heart, Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,” so “commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). To be committed is to be “sold out” for Jesus Christ and to seek His glory in all things you do (including your work). God will not bless someone or grant them the desires of their heart if they are not committed to Him.
Trust in Him
If we trust God, we are telling Him we don’t trust our own ways. Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6), because “some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).
Wait for Him
The psalmist knew a lot about waiting. King David had to wait until King Saul was gone before he could finally reign over Israel. He knew he had to “wait for the Lord; be strong, and let [his] heart take courage [and] wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). As he says of God, “none who wait for you shall be put to shame” (Psalm 25:3a).
Refrain From Anger
The final part of what we must do to receive the desires of our hearts is “refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (Psalm 37:8). In some cases it’s okay to be angry, as long as we don’t sin. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26) because “whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29).
Conclusion
If you delight yourself in the LORD, he will give you the desires of your heart; but you must commit your ways to Him, you must trust in Him at all times, you must wait on His timing, and you must refrain from anger because the anger of man rarely does good.
