Tag: happiness

Welcome to a quick study of Psalm 37:1-4

I am picking up where last week’s post ended. If you didn’t read that yet,

 just click on the link  〉 Psalm 37:4 

Now, let’s take a closer look at Psalm 37:1-4

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

 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 37:1-4    NKJV

 

This Psalm of David starts with some important instructions that are crucial to our life. Verse 1  calls our attention to the tendency to be negatively affected by those around us. I have experienced fretfulness and envy when my thinking has been consumed by looking at other people. How about you? David reminds us in verse 2 that these things we tend to become agitated about are very temporary.

We find the proper focus for our thinking in verse 3. Our trust should not be in ourselves, other people, money, or anything else. Our trust is to be in God alone. I love the last part of verse 3 – feed on His faithfulness. We are to live by looking to the Lord, feeding on His faithfulness and daily putting our complete trust in Him.

We have now arrived at our main verse. Notice that after carefully reading verses 1-3  we are able to see verse 4 a little differently than just pulling the verse out alone.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

       DESIRE       DELIGHT

To delight yourself involves finding joy, pleasure, and fulfillment. If you truly delight in the Lord, you will want to spend time alone with Him. You will find yourself preoccupied with Him.

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Notice the word desire used in the NLT version below.

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Matthew 6:21 NLT

Let’s ask ourselves

1. What do I take delight in?
2. What is my heart’s desire?

Please don’t rush to answer this.

Complete honesty with yourself is necessary.

Is your answer different than what you would like it to be?

If your heart is delighting in something or someone other than Jesus, admit it.

Your desires can be changed. Help is found through prayer.

First, confess the truth and then ask God to give you the desire to delight in Him. Surely, this is a request that God loves to hear and answer.

Don’t settle for things as they have been but reach for a renewed passionate relationship with your Lord Jesus Christ.

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If we delight in the Lord,

               then the desire of our hearts will be for Him.

                                 Certainly, the Lord will fulfill that desire.

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A quote from Charles Spurgeon helps to put things into clear focus. 

“Our delights are a better test of our character than anything else:

as a man’s heart is, so is the man.”

-Charles Spurgeon

 Read an excerpt from Matthew Henry’s commentary on Psalm 37:1-6.

A man’s life consists not in abundance, but, Thou shalt have food convenient for thee. This is more than we deserve, and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. He has not promised to gratify the appetites of the body, and the humours of the fancy, but the desires of the renewed, sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and serve God. Commit thy way unto the Lord; roll thy way upon the Lord, so the margin reads it. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, the burden of thy care. We must roll it off ourselves, not afflict and perplex ourselves with thoughts about future events, but refer them to God. By prayer spread thy case and all thy cares before the Lord, and trust in him. We must do our duty, and then leave the event with God. The promise is very sweet: He shall bring that to pass, whatever it is, which thou has committed to him.

Read more here > Matthew Henry Commentary

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I hope you find something helpful in this short study.

Do you think any differently about Psalm 37:4 now?

Please share.

I would love to read your comments on this.

Praying that your desire is to know the King and to delight in Him ♥ 

Blessings,

Lynn