The phrase “delight yourself in the Lord” comes from Psalm 37:4, which says “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” To understand what this verse means, we need to examine it in the context of the whole psalm.
Psalm 37 is attributed to David, and it’s an exhortation to trust in the Lord rather than being envious of evildoers who seem to prosper. The central theme is that the righteous should hope in the Lord, delight in Him, commit their way to Him, trust in Him, and wait patiently for Him (Psalms 37:3-7). God will act justly and care for those who hope in Him.
With this context, to “delight yourself in the Lord” means to find your joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in Him above all else. It means cherishing who He is and what He’s done for you more than anything this world offers. The New Living Translation words verse 4 this way: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
How do we delight ourselves in the Lord? Here are some key ways:
Meditate on and rejoice in who God is
We delight ourselves in the Lord by meditating on His character & attributes. God is eternally loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, holy, righteous, faithful, merciful, gracious, and good. We can praise and rejoice in who He is. As Psalm 37:4 says, when we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. As we meditate on God’s goodness, it stirs up holy desires within us.
Thank Him for all His benefits
The psalmist says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). God is our Creator, Savior, Father, Provider, Protector, and Friend. He forgives all our sins, heals our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with steadfast love and mercy, satisfies us with good, and renews our youth like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:3-5). Thanking God for His many benefits delights our soul in Him.
Rejoice in the gospel
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God delighted in rescuing us from sin and death through Christ, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). The gospel is the greatest reason we can delight ourselves in God. We were separated from Him by our sins, but now we are reconciled and redeemed through Jesus! (Colossians 1:19-22).
Obey His Word
Jesus said “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Our delight in God overflows into glad obedience to His Word. We enjoy reading the Bible, gaining wisdom, changing our thinking and actions to align with God’s will. Obeying God’s commands allows us to abide in His love.
Walk in the Spirit
Delighting ourselves in the Lord involves walking in the Holy Spirit. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). As we set our mind on the Spirit, we experience His fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Pray and fellowship with Him
Through prayer and worship we delight ourselves in the Lord by fellowshipping with Him. We can “taste and see that the Lord is good” when we draw near to Him (Psalm 34:8). Praise, adoration, resting in His presence, making our requests known, interceding for others – these are all ways to delight in the Lord through prayer.
Serve and minister to others
Delighting ourselves in the Lord motivates us to serve and bless others. Jesus delighted in ministering to people’s needs – feeding the hungry, healing the sick, befriending sinners. When our hearts are full of God’s joy and love, we are compelled to serve others. This includes sharing our faith so more people can delight themselves in the Lord.
The promise of Psalm 37:4 is that when we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. Delighting in God reorients our desires to align with His will. As Augustine said, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart – because it is from Him that you are receiving the desires.” Our greatest desire becomes to know, love and glorify God.
What are the benefits of delighting ourselves in the Lord?
There are many wonderful benefits when we delight ourselves in God:
- Peace – “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)
- Joy – “For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
- Contentment – “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11)
- Hope – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)
- Purpose – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
- Victory – “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
- Guidance – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)
- Stability – “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
- Eternal life – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
What are some hindrances to delighting ourselves in the Lord?
While God makes delighting in Him possible through Christ, we sometimes struggle to experience this delight fully because of:
- Sin – Unconfessed sin inhibits our fellowship with God and robs us of joy in Him. We must turn from sin through repentance and faith (Isaiah 59:1-2).
- Worldliness – The pleasures, priorities, and philosophies of this world compete for our affections. We must guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23).
- Busyness – Our schedules crowd out time to enjoy the Lord’s presence. We need to recalibrate and put God first.
- Doubt – We may struggle to trust God’s goodness and doubt His love. We can ask Jesus to help our unbelief (Mark 9:24).
- Suffering – Hardships and grief can sometimes eclipse our joy. We must view them through gospel hope (Romans 5:3-5).
- Spiritual warfare – Satan actively works to steal our joy. We can resist him standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Even when hindered, we can still make delighting in God our aim, asking His Spirit to enable us to overcome these obstacles to joy in Him.
Examples of delighting ourselves in the Lord
Here are some biblical examples of delighting in the Lord:
- David – “I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:4). “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
- The Sons of Korah – “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).
- Mary – “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).
- Peter – “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” (1 Peter 1:8).
We also see many exhortations to delight in God:
- “Delight yourself in the LORD” (Psalm 37:4)
- “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice” (Psalm 32:11)
- “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4)
- “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Practical tips for delighting yourself in the Lord
Here are some practical tips for how to delight yourself in the Lord each day:
- Start your day with Scripture – Read something uplifting that fills your heart with praise.
- Make a gratitude list – Write down specific things you’re thankful for about God and His blessings.
- Sing worship songs – Listen to or sing along with music that glorifies God.
- Pray continually – Talk with God all throughout your day with praise and requests.
- Meditate on the gospel – Remind yourself of what Christ has done for you.
- Obey with joy – Approach God’s commands as delightful instead of burdensome.
- Fellowship with other believers – Grow together in love for God through church community.
- Serve others – Get your eyes off yourself and bless others in Jesus’ name.
Delighting in the Lord in seasons of suffering
Delighting ourselves in God is not always easy – especially during difficult seasons of suffering or loss. Here are some ways to keep delighting in the Lord through all circumstances:
- Remember that God’s character never changes, even when our circumstances do.
- Fix your gaze on eternity. This life is short, but we will be with God forever.
- Allow your hardships to deepen your reliance on God rather than moving you to anger or bitterness.
- Believe that God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
- Pray through the Psalms – see how David continued to hope in God’s deliverance and care even in agonizing moments.
- Trust that suffering is producing character, endurance and hope in you (Romans 5:3-4).
- Remember the incredible promise that the Holy Spirit fills us with supernatural joy (Romans 15:13).
As Corrie Ten Boom said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” In any circumstance, we can find strength, comfort and joy in God’s presence.
How does delighting ourselves in the Lord transform us?
Delighting ourselves in the Lord powerfully transforms us from the inside out into Christlikeness. Here’s how:
- It renews our thinking – the more we meditate on God’s character, the more our minds are reshaped after His likeness (Romans 12:2).
- It changes our heart’s desires – delighting in God makes His desires our own desires (Psalm 37:4).
- It fills us with the fruit of the Spirit – the more we walk in the Spirit, the more His fruit – including love, joy and peace – grows in us (Galatians 5:22-23).
- It motivates us to obey – when obeying God brings us joy, His commands become lighter (1 John 5:3).
- It deepens our intimacy with Christ – delighting in God draws us closer to Him in relationship (John 15:10-11).
- It gives us eternal perspective – delighting in heaven helps us detach from the temporary things of earth (Colossians 3:2).
- It makes us radiate God’s glory – when we delight in the Lord, His glory shines through us to others (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The more we cultivate daily delight in who God is and what He’s done for us, the more we are conformed to the image of Jesus from glory to glory! There is no greater joy in life than enjoying God Himself.
Conclusion
Delighting ourselves in the Lord involves treasuring who He is and what He has done above all else. It means praising Him for His glorious character, thanking Him for His gospel work, obeying His Word, communing with Him in the Spirit through prayer and worship, fixing our eyes on eternity, and serving others by sharing the joy of Christ.
What a precious promise – as we delight in God, He transforms our desires and fills us with inexpressible joy, peace, and hope that overflows into every area of life! There is no greater pursuit than pursuing supreme satisfaction in God Himself.
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)
