What Does Psalm 37:4 Mean?
Psalm 37:4
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
QUICK ANSWER
David instructs the reader to delight in the Lord, with the promise that He will give the desires of the heart. When someone truly grows close to God, their desires will match God's desires.
CONTEXT
David writes this chapter as instruction, addressing the frustration of seeing wicked people prosper. At the beginning, he warns against God's people worrying or becoming envious as a result of their evil gain. He then gives a series of commands that describe how to respond properly. This verse appears in that sequence, following his call to trust in the Lord. David is helping the people deal this common situation.
BASIC BREAKDOWN
“Delight thyself also in the LORD;
This means to find joy and satisfaction in God, not in the things of the world.
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
When your delight is in God, your desires begin to align with His will, and He fulfills those right desires.
APPLICATION
Make God the center of your life. As you grow closer to Him, your desires will change, and you will begin to want what He wants. That is where true fulfillment is found.
RELATED VERSES
Psalm 20:4 - “Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.”
Matthew 6:33 - “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
John 15:7 - “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
1 John 5:14 - “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”
Psalm 112:1 - “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”
