Psalm 37:4 is a very popular verse, and I believe it’s for good reason. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” It’s one of those “coffee mug verses” that makes us feel good, but I think that a lot of people like to ignore the first part of the verse and really, the context that the verse itself is set in.
The dictionary defines delight as “having great pleasure; take pleasure (in)”. So, that verse could say instead, “Take pleasure in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”. We were made to take pleasure in the Lord! We were made to rest in Him. I know it’s hard. Our hearts are not bent towards holiness. Our very nature is sinful. Basically, we’re rotten to our core. But we’re going to stay that way until we rest in the One Who created us to delight in Him. The thing is, a lot of us desire to live like Christ, but are more consumed with taking pleasure in the things of this world than in the things of God. Our spirits indeed are willing, but our flesh is weak. We claim that we’re only going to do that sin “one last time” or that if we go to church and Bible study a few times a week, we’re all set. Friends, I’m here to tell you that that’s not true. We need to be taking pleasure in, delighting in, resting in God’s Word every day. Hebrews 4:11-12 says, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” I’m speaking to myself here just as much as I am to y’all. I know it’s not easy. Giving into your sin is easy. Scrolling on your phone before you go to sleep is easy. Filling up your time with anything and everything else is easy. But you know what else I know? That every moment spent in your sin is forever wasted. Every moment you spend delighting in your sin instead of in the Lord is gone forever and you will never get it back.
But there’s hope! And lots of it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us in saying, “No temptation has overtaken you that isn’t common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” There is a way out, a way to resist sin, a way to take delight in the Lord and in Him only, and it’s through His very Spirit that dwells inside of you! We will never become more holy with time, but through the Holy Spirit Who empowers us to take pleasure in Him every moment of every day.
It isn’t easy. It takes work on our part. It takes a re-training of our hearts. We’re not just going to suddenly become more holy with time. But you know what will make us more like Christ? By striving to rest in His Word daily and allowing it to change your heart. By delighting and taking pleasure in Him. I implore you, if you feel like you’re far from God, ask yourself if you’re truly striving to rest in Him. Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit inside you to convict and guide you. Repent of your sin of apathy towards Him and ask Him to create in you a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within you. The Word of God is powerful, friends! Rest in it every single day. Allow it to transform your mind and heart to look more like Christ. Take delight in the God Who loves you enough to send His only Son to die for you, and He will give you the desires of your heart as it transforms to want to look more like Him.
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