Psalms 37:4 is one of the most beloved and misinterpreted verses in scripture.
I know this about you, you read these words, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires,” and you think, “Hot dog! God’s gonna gimme what I want.” All, I gotta do is “take delight in Him.” Easy peasy – where do I sign up?
I know this about you because it is true of me.
The problem is, God is not a cosmic vending machine just itchin’ to give you what you think you desire.
For just a moment, I want you think about the thing. What you want most in the world. It can be a job, a car, a relationship – whatever.
Close your eyes if you need to and don’t worry that you’re revealing something God doesn’t already know – the fact is, He’s well aware that most of us want something other than Him – more than we want Him.
And that is the point. That is how we’ve been misusing, misteaching, misunderstanding this verse for far too long.
When we make God our delight, when we desire Him above all else – He gives us…
…wait for it
…HIMSELF!
Our heart’s desire.
And what could be better than have God?
This goes hand in hand with Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me WHEN you search for Me with ALL your heart” (emphasis mine).
God promises that He can be found. It’s like playing “Hide ‘n Go Seek” with a three year old. You don’t really challenge the kid. You basically hide in plain sight – but the kid doesn’t know that and they search for you with every ounce of energy they posses.
When we make God our heart’s desire, when we search for Him with all our hearts – we find Him and we get our desires.
Love to read your thoughts. Leave ’em below.
Mick Holt 