Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
This is one of those verses that I used to interpret very differently than I do today.
For years, when I read this, I saw it as a transactional promise. If I deposit delight in God, then He will return what I desire. I give Him my joy, then He gives me what I ask Him for. It’s a simple exchange. It’s reciprocal.
But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at because God is all about relationships, not transactions.
Now I see this verse as a sign of my relationship with Him. The more I delight in God, the more he will root out those ugly things in my heart. As I draw nearer to Him, He will make my desires more like His. That’s a beautiful exchange!
Related Post: When God Changes the Desires of Your Hearts
God doesn't give us the desires of our hearts because we delight in Him. When we delight in Him, the desires of our hearts are more like His. Click To TweetThis morning, I woke up consumed with all of my desires—my benefit, my good, my version of success—and I realized that I wasn’t delighting in Him. So I had to quiet my thoughts and remember who my God is.
While there are many things to enjoy in this world, the Lord is our ultimate treasure. Those things that I woke up wanting pale in comparison to the immense wonder and majesty of our God.
And He doesn’t hide Himself away in a safe that’s impossible to crack, but makes Himself accessible. God makes Himself available so that we can delight in Him. Let’s accept His invitation to enjoy His presence today! Let’s make time to see Him as our ultimate treasure.
Spending Time with Jesus
If you liked this devotional, we encourage you to check out Sarah’s newest book, Behold. It’s an invitation to just sit with God. Spend time with Him. Enjoy His presence. Filled with open-ended prompts and lots of blank space to write, every devotional shines a spotlight on His goodness so you can just sit in the palm of His hand. Available on Amazon.
This is an awesome exchange, Sarah! I appreciate how you articulated this truth, “The more I delight in God, the more he will root out those ugly things in my heart. As I draw nearer to Him, He will make my desires more like His.”
Thanks so much for your kind words!