Delight Yourself in the Lord
Reflection on Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart
(Psalm 37:4).
This verse comes from a psalm of David. And like so many of his psalms, it’s born from affliction. Though we can’t be certain of the exact moment, it’s not hard to imagine David writing these words while hiding in caves, pursued by King Saul, betrayed by those he once trusted, or watching as the wicked seemed to prosper unchecked.
David knew firsthand the sting of injustice. He saw a rebellious Saul still seated on the throne, showered in power and blessing, while he—the anointed yet unenthroned king—lived as a fugitive. In those long nights of exile, with danger pressing in, David lifted his heart again and again to God, seeking his delight not in deliverance or revenge, but in the Lord Himself.
So when David writes, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart,” he is not offering a casual platitude. These are hard-won words, forged in suffering and trust.
At first glance, the verse sounds like a promise too good to be true. Trust God, and He’ll give you everything you want? A perfect life. Abundant blessing. As though He’s promised to spoil you like an only child, pouring out prosperity and smoothing every obstacle in your path.
But that’s not David’s message.
Psalm 37 wrestles with a timeless tension: why do the wicked seem to flourish while the righteous struggle? From our vantage point, it can look as though those who defy God are winning—growing wealthy, enjoying comfort, escaping consequences—while those striving to honor Him face trial after trial.
Yet David reminds us in the opening verses:
Fret not yourself because of evildoers… for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb (Psalm 37:1-2).
Their flourishing is fleeting. But those who delight in God find an enduring blessing—not always material or immediate, but far deeper.
We see this same truth unfold in Nehemiah 8. After the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, the people gathered to hear the reading of the Book of the Law. As they listened, they wept—grieved by how far they had strayed from God's commands. But Nehemiah and Ezra called them not to despair but to joy:
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Nehemiah understood that joy was not optional—it was essential. It was the strength behind his perseverance through opposition, slander, and hardship. And now it was to be the strength of the people too—the believer’s superpower! They were told to celebrate with food and feasting, for God had opened their hearts to understand His Word. As they delighted in Him, He would guide them in His ways, fulfilling the long-promised hope of writing His law on their hearts.
I was reminded of this when I was passed over for a promotion I had worked toward for years. The rejection came without explanation, and it stung. Disappointment, anger, and resentment threatened to take root. Rather than cast blame on the decision makers or dwell on the perceived injustice of being denied something I thought I deserved, I chose instead to entrust the outcome to God, as part of His divine will and plan for my life. It wasn’t a one-time victory. Over time, as I sought delight in the Lord, my desires began to shift.
That closed door became an unexpected blessing. It freed me to pursue opportunities I might have otherwise overlooked—like teaching and service abroad in places like Nigeria, where spiritual joy runs deep despite material need and limited access to formal training or education; an annual trip I’ve made twice since. These experiences contribute minimally to professional career advancement, but have been significantly more purposeful and rewarding. In hindsight, that “no” protected me from paths that could have distracted me from God’s greater plans. Taking delight in the Lord, giving thanks, and choosing rejoicing over regret reminded my soul that His plans are always good—and far better than we can imagine, even when we cannot see them right away.
So what does it mean that “He will give you the desires of your heart”? Is this a blank check from heaven? Not quite. Notice the sequence: “Delight yourself in the Lord…” When we make the Lord our joy, our treasure, and our deepest source of satisfaction, something profound happens. Our desires themselves are transformed. The Spirit sanctifies our affections. We grow less drawn to worldly wants, material pleasures, empty promises, and carnal allurements—dream houses, wealth, status, ease—and instead begin to crave what God delights to give: holiness, righteousness, peace, and eternal life with our Savior. His presence above all.
Instead of God granting us everything we ever wanted, He reshapes what we want. As we delight in Him, our hearts come into alignment with His. Our deepest longings become for Him—and He never fails to satisfy them.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it beautifully in response to the first question:
What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
To enjoy Him. To delight in Him. This is our calling—not a begrudging duty, but a life marked by resplendent joy. This call to delight in the Lord isn’t an isolated concept—it runs like a golden thread through all of Scripture. Even Paul, writing from a prison cell, chained to a Roman guard, could say:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4).
James, writing to persecuted Jewish believers in the diaspora, urged:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness (James 1:2).
Peter added:
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (I Peter 1:8-9).
And Jesus—”who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,” (Hebrews 12:2)—said:
Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven... (Luke 6:22-23).
Delighting in Him won’t spare us from all pain, but it does refocus our desires on what truly matters most and our affections on God, “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
As John Piper has so powerfully taught, our joy in God magnifies His glory. In the words of David Mathis:
Our happiness in God glorifies God. My pursuit of the deepest and most durable joy, and God’s pursuit of his glory, are not two pursuits but one. Because, as John Piper champions… ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.’ God’s design to be glorified and my desires to be happy come together in one amazing pursuit: the pursuit of joy in God.
—David Mathis, DesiringGod.org
Christian, if delight feels distant, begin anyway. Do not grumble, complain, or allow bitterness or discouragement to take hold when faced with unexpected outcomes or unwanted circumstances. Instead, recall God’s goodness. Sing His praises—even through tears. Meditate on His Word. Fix your heart on “whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable” (Philippians 4:8). Let Him reshape your desires to mirror His own.
And as you delight in Him, trust this:
He delights in you.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).