Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
You’ve probably seen this verse on coffee mugs or t-shirts. Maybe this is a verse you have memorized. At first reading it appears the Psalmist is communicating that God will give you whatever you want if you delight in Him. That God is the channel to get what you really want. “If I delight in God, then this coronavirus will end.” “If I enjoy God then He will let me keep my job.”
But that’s not what the Psalmist is saying. This is not a quick guide to get what everyone else in the world runs after, which ultimately does not satisfy. Rather, as we delight in God as the highest pleasure and joy, He crafts our hearts to desire what He desires for us (Philippians 2:13). Then, He will give us what we desire because it is what He wants for us, which is what we really need! What this means is we can have the desires of hearts in every circumstance because who we ultimately need is God. As we lean deeply into the love of God in Jesus, He will grow in us a greater love for Him and others. Seek today to know God more through His word, through prayer along with His people.