“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart”
I love this little verse from Psalm 37 for so many reasons. Here are a few to ponder on this week:
Delighting in the Lord is a direct fruit of God’s own working in our lives. “No one understands; no one seeks after God” (Romans 3:11). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The delight of Psalm 37 is a personal one for both God and man. God gave his personal name to his people (signified in our Bible’s as either Jehovah or L-O-R-D). We delight in the LORD—the great I AM (Exodus 3:13-15). “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am’” (John 8:58). Not only has God worked in our lives, but he has revealed himself to his people personally. And this is the same God who knows each of his creations particularly. Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
God gives. Not only does God save, but God gives. In and of itself, the depth of such a truth is entirely encouraging. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31, 32).
God changes the desires of our heart. Not only does God save and give, but God grants real change in our lives post salvation. This little verse from Psalm 37 speaks so well to Christian life! To delight in God is to recognize that God has delighted in us through salvation and provision. In seeing God’s love for us, we, in turn, grow in deep and humble love for God. Our desires are changed and continue to change. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Even in our failure (Romans 7:7-25), our desire is still to obey our great God. “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being” (Romans 7:22).
As we continue to grow here at Centennial, my prayer is that our delight in the Lord will grow. At the same time, may God grant us the true Spirit-informed desires of our hearts—God’s glory in all we do. Praise be to God! Blessings,
Jeremiah