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Psalm 37:4 - Delighting In The Lord Will Give You The Desires Of Your Heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV) Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NIV) Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.

WORD STUDY

Take Delight In The Lord means aligning with the Lord's way in order to enjoy him. [NLT SB 2008]

The Desires Of Your Heart. Some take "the desires" as referring to the feeling of desire, i.e., "God will shape your heart so that it desires the right things"; but the sense is rather, "he will give you what your heart desires." It is safe to say this to those who embrace the advice of this psalm, because as they delight themselves in the Lord, their hearts will desire the right things (cf. vv. 16, 31). [ESV SB 2008]

INTRODUCTION

David calls us to take delight in the Lord and to commit everything we have and do to him. But how do we do this? To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well and when we have been a faithful friend. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must get to know him better and be faithful in our relationship with him. The certainty of God's great love for us will then indeed give us delight. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to entrust everything - our lives, families, jobs, possessions - to his control and guidance. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to trust in him (37:5), believing that he can care for us better than we can ourselves. We should wait patiently (37:7). [Life Application SB 2019]

COMMENTARY PEARL

When You Wish
   It first won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Original Song. When the velvety voice of Cliff Edwards recorded "When You Wish Upon a Star," no one knew it would become the signature song of the Walt Disney Company. Based on the animated Pinocchio, a fairy tale of a wooden puppet who magically becomes a real boy, the character of Jimmy Cricket dreamily sings, "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you?'
   Anything?
   Today's Bible text speaks of receiving the wishes of our heart. It's easy to read the last part of verse 4, "He shall give you the desires of your heart," without the rest of the passage. It does make a difference who you are, for the verse tells us the conditional nature of this promise.
   There are requirements preceding God giving us the wishes of our heart, for without a new heart our desires will lead to death (Proverbs 16:25). "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). That means we cannot trust what we desire. Five verbs in today's promise guide us to 1) trust in the Lord, 2) do good, 3) dwell in the land, 4) feed on God's faithfulness, and 5) delight ourselves in Him.
   There is a falling star who promises to grant all your wishes (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:4), even if you turn away from God and His sacred law (Genesis 3:4, 5). But don't buy his lie. Only the Lord can make your dreams come true as you trust in Him and do good.
   Lord, I pray that my dreams are Your dreams, that my wishes come only from You. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts]

COMMENTARY

Aligning With His Desires
   Most often, our best next move you can make in life is to choose to simply delight in God. When you do, God gives you something in return - the desires of your heart.
   It's an extraordinary promise, but before we start jumping to asking God for all those things we want, like a big wish list, we've got to notice the sequence of how this verse is laid out. The delighting comes first. The fulfillment of our desires happens second. We don't need to worry about what our desires may be, because it's our delighting in God that drives our desires. When we make Jesus our first priority, our desires morph and change over time as God shapes them.
   Jesus' desires for our lives are far greater than anything we could dream of. If we commit to pursuing His desires first and foremost, then we'll begin to see the windows of heaven opened as we align with His abundant blessing.
   God, I delight in You right now. Stir up my affections and deepen my awe at Your holiness, that I may know You more. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio]

The Best Is Yet to Come
   What does it look like for you to cultivate faithfulness, being content where you are while you're waiting and trusting in the Lord for His next step? How do you counter fear with faith and anxious thoughts with assurance of God's steadfast love?
   You recenter in the truth that you haven't seen all the purposes of God fully unfolded yet. In this journey of faith, your confidence comes from God's character, what's been revealed about Him in the Bible. And your confidence also comes in trusting that God is working even when you don't understand or see what's happening around you.
   God is at work even amid whatever problem you're going through. He's working in both seen and unseen ways. He's working to put you on a path that you'll never regret, a path of extraordinary goodness that's a reflection of His character. That means that today you have one major assignment: trust God for your future and cultivate faithfulness for whatever is in your hands now while believing that the best is yet to come.
   God, I don't have to worry about tomorrow, so I choose today to enjoy where You have me right now and to do good with what You have gifted me. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio]

AI COMMENTARY

   Delighting in the Lord (Psalm 37:4) means finding supreme joy, satisfaction, and pleasure in God rather than temporary earthly things. It is a daily, intentional, and heartfelt pursuit achieved by spending time in His presence, cherishing His Word, cultivating a thankful heart, obeying His commands, and aligning your desires with His will.
   Here are specific ways to delight in the Lord:
      o Spend Time in His Presence: Make daily prayer, worship, and meditation on God's character a priority.
      o Cherish His Word: Study, meditate on, and apply the Bible to your life, allowing it to shape your thoughts and desires.
      o Cultivate Thankfulness: Maintain a heart of gratitude for God's salvation, provision, and grace, even in difficult times.
      o Obedience and Trust: Actively trust in the Lord and follow His ways, which shows love and honor to Him.
      o Align Your Desires: As you focus on God, your desires naturally shift to align with His, and he fulfills the longings of your heart.
      o Be Pliable: Allow God to mold your life, remaining adaptable to His plans and timing.
   Essentially, delighting in the Lord is finding your happiness in Him, leading to a life of peace and contentment, where your deepest desires match His.

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Psalm 37:4 - Delighting In The Lord Will Give You The Desires Of Your Heart.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20241121-1628.html

Psalm 37:4 - Delight In The Lord.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20171024-0954.html

Psalm 37:4 - Find Your Delight In The Lord.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170224-1121.html

Matthew 7:7, 8 - In Prayer We Ask, Seek and Knock to Receive, Find and Open.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20231113-0908.html

For More:
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