Delight in the Lord

 

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

—Psalm 37:3-4 (NKJV)

 

 

Psalm 37:3-4 speaks of the blessings of the righteous. When we trust in the Lord and do what is right, we have His promise to dwell in the land and receive His provision. In Psalm 37:1, the land referred to is the Jews’ Promised Land. We, who are reborn into the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, will dwell in the fulfillment of God’s promises and receive His provision. We will not only inhabit the life He has for us but will receive it abundantly (John 10:10). 

 

Psalm 37:4 does not promise that when we trust in the Lord, He will give us whatever we desire. However, it does indicate that when we trust in the Lord, He will place His desires in our hearts. When we delight in the Lord, we trust Him. Trusting in the Lord is one of the most humble and profound ways to receive guidance and direction from Him.

 

The word “delight” was translated from the Hebrew word “anag.” Strong’s Concordance states that it means, “to be soft or pliable.” To delight in the Lord is to be teachable and accept direction from Him. Our hearts must be open to the Holy Spirit’s revelation of His spiritual truth and honor it more than our human understanding. 

 

What we “dwell” on—or think about—is what we become sensitive to. Whether good or bad, hopeful or despairing, what we think about will become who we are (Proverbs 23:7). If we want to “dwell” in God’s promises, our hearts must be trusting, flexible, receptive, and listening to Him. If we don’t “dwell” on the truth of His Word, our hearts become hardened to His guidance and direction. Focusing on the things of God keeps our hearts soft and supple, enabling us to hear His voice. When our hearts are humble and sensitive toward the Lord, we feed upon His faithful truth, and His desires become our own. What we do shall be what He desires. 

 

In Psalm 1:2, David stated that those who delight in the Word of God and meditate on it day and night will be blessed. This reflects what David also wrote in Psalm 37:4. When you “delight” yourself in the Word and are soft and pliable to its truth, you meditate on it day and night (Joshua 1:8). 

 

Delighting yourself in the Lord and His Word does not happen automatically. When you are hungry enough so that nothing else satisfies your hunger, you meditate on His Word until your heart is quickened to its truth.

 

Be intentionally teachable and open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Trust in the Lord wholeheartedly. Commit to not being distracted by what you see with your eyes, hear with your ears, or understand with your mind. Focus solely on God's truth, and meditate on it continually. Place your faith in the abundant and life-affirming promises revealed through Jesus Christ.

 

Psalm 37:5 is God’s response to your active faith: “Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

 

God delights in you; otherwise, He would not have sent His Son to die for you. The blessings of the righteous are yours in Christ. Delight in the Lord! Be open to Him. Trust in Him. Dwell and abide in Him. Feed on His Word, for God will bring His promises to fruition in your life.

 

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