This verse is one of the clear instructions from David to all believers. The first point of the call is to know who our lord is and what he can do. Why some Christians still scout around looking for solutions is because of their weak relationship with God and ignorance of his word.
The two biblical texts below confirm this fact.
Daniel chapter 11 verse 32 says,
“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
Hosea 4 verse 6 also mentions,
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. ”
David knows who God is and what he can do. He is so confident in him without any state of confusion or manipulation by external factors. He maintains a constant and cordial relationship with God right from his youth.
No wonder he says, I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. (Psalm 37 verse 25)
“The reason many apparent Christians do not delight in God is that they do not know him very well, and the reason they do not know him very well is that they do not spend time with him.” (Boice)
You have no better place to go, delight in the Lord, and take pleasure in him and his words; he shall give you your heart’s desires.
Who wrote Psalm 37:4 and when was it written?
Psalm 37:4 was written by David. It was written around 1000 B.C.
What is the context of Psalm 37:4?
The context of Psalm 37:4 talks about the inheritance of the righteous and the calamities of the wicked.
This Psalm of David is often referred to as a wisdom psalm, directed not to God but man. It is a great and brilliant sermon of instructions that captures the righteous and the wicked.
It teaches after the manner of the book of Proverbs and describes wisdom about the security of the righteous man and the insecurity and afflictions of the wicked people.
David was believed to have written this chapter in his old age. (Psalm 37 verse 25). He warns us not to fret at the prosperity of the wicked nor to be envious of the workers of iniquity and also gave good reasons for it.
According to him, their wickedness cannot last, they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
He opened the chapter with clear and plain instructions.
“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. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. ” (Verse 3 to 8)
Believers are tempted to fret or get worried when we see the evil men prospering without struggle, we may be subject to behave like these evil people. The true treasure comes from God, he has the supreme power to give wealth.
David cautioned about this. His words are explicit. Trust in the Lord, delight yourself in Him, commit your way to Him, rest in Him, wait patiently for Him; and cease from anger.
The wealth of the wicked are temporary things of this world and not a blessing from God. Do not worry about those wrong things. Paul admonishes us not to be bothered about such.
“While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ” (2 Corinthian 4 verse 18)
Proverbs 10 verse 22 also says,
“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.”
David talks about God’s judgment for the wicked. The wicked plots against the just, but the Lord laughs at him for he has prepared the instrument of death for them to cast them down. He also commends contentment in our walk with God and assures us of abundance in the days of famine.
The Lord required that we conduct ourselves uprightly and assure He will never leave nor forsake us.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. ” (Verses 23 and 24)
He confirms that the mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice, the wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. David closed the chapter by summarizing comments about the wicked and the righteous.
Psalm 37 verses 35 to 40 says,
I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.
God will always make someone that trust and believes in him safe in his hands.
What is the message of Psalm 37:4?
The message of Psalm 37:4 informs us to take pleasure in God and the things of God.
Two categories of people are mentioned in the holy bible when it comes to getting answers to our prayers.
The first category is mentioned in Mathew chapter 7 verses 7 and 8,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
This is a conditional statement from God to receive our requests from him.
The other category is mentioned in the verse of this article.
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart”
God skipped protocols for this set of people. They will not need to ask before they receive. No need to seek before they find, doors open to them freely without a knock open.
They are those that take pleasure in him. They find fulfillment in him and his word. They love what he loves and live according to his will. They are always joyful even in the midst of challenges.
Take great pleasure in him, be joyful and excited about spiritual assignments and watch him taking care of your own assignments.
“Delight yourself also in the Lord,” meaning
“Delight yourself also in the Lord,” means to replace our concerns with the joy of the lord.
The world we live in today is full of worries and concerns. These worries come daily and at every second that they sometimes affect our relationship and fellowship with God. Believers need a constant antidote to curb the impact on our Christian race in this evil time.
An author defines Delight as stated below:
“It includes a deliberate redirection of one’s emotions such as] Paul and Silas in prison, singing as well as praying.” (Kidner)
Nehemiah 8 verse 10 says,
“Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Our strength is drawn from the joy of the lord. Paul admonishes this fact with emphasis.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4 verse 4)
“Rejoice always.” (1 Thessalonians 5 verse 16)
We have situations that seem all hope was lost, at this time Christians tend to be struggling with their faith in God. Joy at this point is the most difficult thing to do but that is where your triumph lies.
As you do this, God will not only settle your concerns but he will also take care of your present and future desires.
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.”
(Habakkuk 3 verses 17 to 19)
Incline yourself with God, He is more than enough for you.
“And He shall give you the desires of your heart” meaning
“And He shall give you the desires of your heart” talks about God’s great promise to satisfy our wishes.
God’s wonderful promise and intention at this end of time are to satisfy the desires of his children. The first thing required from us is to look unto him and stay away from all distractions. He knows our needs before they arise. He is more than able to meet those needs.
Jesus mentioned in Mathew chapter 6 verses 30 to 33,
“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ”
The human nature is fond of the pursuit of earthly treasure. They find great delight in material possessions and leave aside God’s things.
Seeking the kingdom as mentioned in verse 33 simply means to partner with him in kingdom advancement, to be glad and excited in things that pertain to him, all other things others are dying to get shall be effortlessly given to you.
Believers should leave aside the cares of this world but live our lives for him and him alone.
What is the difference in biblical translations Psalm 37:4 (NKJV, KJV, NIV & ESV)?
Psalm 37:4 NKJV biblical translation “Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart”
Psalm 37:4 KJV biblical translation “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 37:4 NIV biblical translation “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”
Psalm 37:4 ESV biblical translation “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
There is no difference in the four translations between NKJV, KJV, NIV, and ESV
The four translations are written almost the same and have the same meaning.
How do I apply Psalm 37:4 to my life?
Applying Psalm 37:4 to my life is to be sold out to God.
Taking delight in anything you do automatically springs out joy and peace in you.
Having great delight in God who is the author of joy and peace is a good living and a wise decision to make.
The best way to go is to take delight in God more than ever. Failure to do this may turn a devoted Christian into a weakling.
Get married to Jesus to the point that people begin to mock you. When people are mocking you, God is busy molding you. Apostle Paul says he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
He will grant you all your desires in Jesus’ name.
What is Psalm 37:4 prayer?
Faithful Father, Help me to know you more and more and to understand that you are the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth. May I continue to take delight in you all the remaining days of my life. Grant me the desires of my heart in Jesus’s name I pray. AMEN
Conclusion
There is no safer and right place to abide than in the presence of God. Maintain a cordial and constant relationship with God. The greatest blessings in this world are found in him. You may not look like it at the beginning but the expectation of the end is glorious.
Psalm 16 verse 11 says,
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ”
You cannot remain in God’s presence if you are swimming in sin.
Isiah 59 verse 11 says,
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. ”
God takes pleasure in the prosperity of his people. No good things will He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
