Psalm 37: 4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
The word “delight” means to please (someone) greatly. Delight means to be pliable, workable and malleable in the hands of God. The above verse is not a blank cheque to desire whatever we want. If our heart is right with the Lord and we live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, He will give us the desires even before we ask, seek or knock. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11). To delight ourselves in the Lord is to dwell in His Word and walk blamelessly before Him. It is to esteem His Word above everything. To delight is to live in a way that greatly pleases the heart of God.
The Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions (1 Kings 10:1). The Queen of Sheba heard not only about the fame and wisdom of Solomon but also his relationship with the Lord. She heard that Solomon was ‘God’s delight’. After the Q&A session and the answers that Solomon eloquently articulated, she said, “Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9). The Lord God delighted in Solomon as he did not ask for wealth, long life or the death of his enemies but petitioned for a discerning heart (wisdom). Wisdom gives us the skills to produce wealth. Wisdom helps us to make decisions that bless us with long and healthy lives. The wisdom from the Lord is a shield of protection from the enemy’s attack.
Three tips to delight or greatly please the heart of God:
1. Dwell: ‘Dwelling in the Word’ makes us wise. The statutes of the LORD are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7b). Not just reading the Word but ruminating on God’s word. Munching over it during our break, when we go for a walk or even as we lie down to sleep is ‘dwelling in the Word’. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16a). Living in the Word will delight the heart of God.
2. Desire: When our heart is steeped to please God, His desires will become our desires. We will not go after fame or fortune but money and reputation will chase after us. Simple implicit obedience delights the heart of God.
3. Delight: To ‘delight’ is to please God greatly. Seek Him truthfully, trust Him blindly and love Him faithfully.
Delight is to please God greatly.
1 Kings 3:10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
Prayer: Father God, I want to delight you in all that I think, say and do. May your desires be mine. Amen.
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