What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)?

(1) "Delight thyself also in the Lord." This is the heart-satisfaction and the joy which arise from the contemplation of the excellency and the glory of our living Master. It was out of sheer delight of heart that John the Baptist, looking upon the anointed Jesus as He walked, said, "Behold the Lamb of God." Two of John's disciples heard the burning words come from the heart of their master, and they followed Jesus. Out of the abundance of his heart's delight, John's mouth spoke, and his words were with power.

Verse 1 recognizes that evildoers may prosper and grow rich in the world, so that there is danger of believers becoming envious of them. Should a believer use the same dishonest methods they do to gain their ends? No indeed! How much rather be content to be poor than to succumb to dishonesty! For the wicked will very soon be cut down, just as grass becomes withered and is cut down in a very short time (vv. 1-1). What a contrast this is to the perpetual blessing of those who trust in the Lord! Thus, verse 3 urges, "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." True trust in the Lord will always encourage one to do good. In such a case there is no doubt of one's being preserved in the land, (not being rooted out as Israel has been in the past), and being fed there as in quiet resting places.

But trust in the Lord will lead further, to "Delight yourself also in the Lord" (v. 4). In finding in Him our undivided pleasure, we shall without fail be consistent with His own pleasure. If our delight is in ourselves, then our desires would be selfish, but when one's delight is in the Lord, it is His pleasure that we will desire.

A second instruction of a positive sort occurs in verse 4. "Delight thyself also in the Lord." The Psalmist discerned nothing in his surroundings that awakened delight, indeed the very opposite, the evildoers pressed in on every side with their persecuting and irritating ways. In the presence of all this it is good to trust instead of fretting, but it is also good to find an unfailing spring of gladness wholly outside the world which the evildoers dominate. This spring of joy is found in the Lord. The Psalmist here is anticipating that which more than once Paul said to the Philippians — "Rejoice in the Lord."

If we delight ourselves in the Lord we are sure to enjoy the happy consequence which the Psalmist indicates. The change of dispensation has made no change in this. We shall find that the desires of our heart are given to us. If any ask why this should be, the answer is simple: because delighting ourselves in the Lord we delight in His holy will. His thoughts become our thoughts, His desires become our desires. When our thoughts and desires are altogether astray from His then naturally our desires are not fulfilled. When our desires are partly in keeping with His, then our desires are only partly fulfilled. When our desires wholly coincide with His, then, and then only, are all our desires fulfilled. It is good to find pleasure in the saints, and joy in the work of the Lord; but if we delight ourselves in these instead of in the Lord, we are in for some big disappointments.

The Lord is not only worthy of our trust, but of our delight also. He is trustworthy indeed, but He is also the embodiment of all that is lovely, of all that appeals to the renewed heart as a source of joy.

Just as a man's speech or writings is the means or instrument by which he communicates his thoughts, and makes known his feelings, so is God's word the instrument or means by which He makes Himself known. Meditation is the means by which we, on our part, become possessed of that which is made known. In the case of a fellow-creature, suppose I find all my happiness in keeping company with him, listening to his discourse; or, supposing him absent, in reading his letters or writings, poring over their contents, repeating them to myself and following out the trains of thought to which they give rise — clearly, in such a case, it is my delight in the speaker or writer, my admiration of his character or abilities, my sympathy with his thoughts and principles and pursuits, my attachment to himself, which accounts for the delight I have in his writings and discourses. So, if my delight is in the word of God, and if in that word I meditate day and night — my thoughts, whenever released from pressure, returning to God's word and flowing spontaneously in that channel, it is because God Himself is known, loved, and delighted in. If it be, then, the secret of true happiness which is here unfolded to us, what is it but that God Himself alone suffices for the happiness of his intelligent creature, man? "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4) "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul." (Lamentations 3:24) "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." (Psalm 73:25) "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup." (Psalm 16:5) Such breathings as these are expressions of the counsel of the godly. Even as to the means of enjoying Him as our portion, other scriptures are not wanting. "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart." (Psalm 119:111) "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." (Jeremiah 15:16) See also Psalm 19:7-11; and the whole of Psalm 119.

Just as a man's speech or writings is the means or instrument by which he communicates his thoughts, and makes known his feelings, so is God's word the instrument or means by which He makes Himself known. Meditation is the means by which we, on our part, become possessed of that which is made known. In the case of a fellow-creature, suppose I find all my happiness in keeping company with him, listening to his discourse; or, supposing him absent, in reading his letters or writings, poring over their contents, repeating them to myself and following out the trains of thought to which they give rise — clearly, in such a case, it is my delight in the speaker or writer, my admiration of his character or abilities, my sympathy with his thoughts and principles and pursuits, my attachment to himself, which accounts for the delight I have in his writings and discourses. So, if my delight is in the word of God, and if in that word I meditate day and night — my thoughts whenever released from pressure returning to God's word, and flowing spontaneously in that channel, it is because God Himself is known, loved, and delighted in. If it be, then, the secret of true happiness which is here unfolded to us, what is it but that God Himself alone suffices for the happiness of his intelligent creature, man? "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."1 "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul."2 "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."3 "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup."4 Such breathings as these are expressions of the counsel of the godly. Even as to the means of enjoying Him as our portion, other scriptures are not wanting. "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart."5 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart."6 See also Psalm 19:7-11; and the whole of Psalm 119.

Psalm 37 is very distinctly in connection with the display of the direct government of God in this world, as it will be made good when the meek shall inherit the land and the wicked be cut off. We have already seen that the epistles of Peter especially furnish to us the application of this to the Christian estate as far as it is so applicable. The beginning of Matthew 5 gives us also, only with a much fuller evangelical character, though not going farther than the kingdom of heaven, the application in the way of promise, as far as the temper pleasing to God goes. But there are some most interesting and instructive exhortations in the psalm as to the spirit in which the believer is to walk and the character of his confidence in God in the midst of the evil which surrounds him. For though the time of the direct display of God's government be not come, and no doubt the power of evil will be displayed more oppressively just before it is put down, still it is even now the time of patience, and the evil is there. Till Christ comes, it is in principle the evil day, and the patience and kingdom of Jesus Christ go together in the heart - not His own kingdom and glory. They are all founded on the certainty that after all Jehovah is above all the evil, loves judgment, does not forget the righteous and those who trust in Him, and that, in the end, His way would have the upper hand. Meanwhile faith is exercised and all that is in the heart judged, which would by self-will mar the spiritual character and hinder the confidence in the Lord which becomes the saint.

The first exhortation is to peacefulness of spirit, and it is general and applies to the state of the mind. "Fret not thyself." When self-will and the desire of present satisfaction mingles itself with the love of righteousness, when one desires righteousness (and partly sometimes, through fear of the power of evil), and is selfish through peace-loving interests, one is apt to fret oneself because evil has its way. All this is the same spirit of unbelief with other desires. But it is unbelief and self-will. The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. We are neither to fret, which is distrust, nor be envious, which is even worse and self-interest. Then comes the positive direction in what spirit we are to walk. What is the resource against the power of evil? "Trust in Jehovah and do good." You will reap the fruit of it according to promise.

76 Next, delight thyself in Jehovah: He will give the desires of the heart. Holy desires, which have Himself for their object, will be satisfied. But opposition, shame, perhaps calumny, is there. "Commit thy way to Jehovah." How true is this! He has always, as men speak, the last word if we have only faith to wait for it. He will bring the result the righteous heart desires and make evident its righteousness.

Next, patient waiting for Jehovah in heart and desire, the surest character of trust. Circumstances may thus be in turmoil around one - violence and efforts. The soul waits for Jehovah's coming in when He will. The wicked may prosper; Jehovah has His own time, a time which is always right and sets all right. He may chasten for good, have plans bringing to maturity, patience Himself with the wicked, His own glory to bring out, which is our everlasting joy. Hence, no anger, no wrath, no fretting, no uneasiness. It leads to doing evil, indulging our own will in evil to meet evil. This is not the patience and faith of the saints. Evil-doers shall be cut off; the saint must not be among the number. They that wait on Jehovah shall inherit the earth. So of the meek, so of such as are blessed of Jehovah. This is Jewish undoubtedly; but, as we have seen, the government of God is still exercised, though not in public manifestation; and, when the soul has waited on Him in patience, it has its blessing even here. The latter part of the psalm is a careful declaration of this sure government of the earth to be publicly manifested in connection with the Jews, more secretly carried on in the time of heavenly grace, still very true.

Ver. 22: All scriptures of this kind bespeak the prayer of communion. You could not have anything like that stated unconditionally. We cannot take isolated portions but the whole word of God. "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart." Delighting in the Lord will form desires that are according to the mind of God. "He gave them their request but sent leanness into their souls," so we need to be on our guard as to what we ask. Not every prayer of believers is prayer "in the Holy Ghost." There can be no denial to us if it is. Even eloquence in prayer should be guarded against. A verse like this should make us think of Eph. 3:20, "Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think," not "can" ask, because it is praying in the Holy Ghost and there is no limit to Him. In the morning "I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look up," for the answer. You could think of a prayer like that of Epaphras for the saints at Colosse, and could ask it unconditionally. We can ask anything like that absolutely. But of many other things one can only say "If it be the Lord's will." Then we trust His wisdom as well as power. Some seem to think power is the only thing. For instance, some say it is shameful for a Christian to suffer, seeing the Lord has the same power as when on earth! But we want to trust His love and wisdom. There is the pruning of the fruitful branches of the vine.

A strong practical tone pervades this Psalm. Delighting in the Lord is connected with the attainment of the heart's desire (verse 4). No blameless wish is alien from the tone and spirit of true worship. Grace sanctions with the holiness of Jesus' name all natural objects for the eye of faith (Col. 3:17; Titus 1:15). Our calling is to liberty. But the law of Christian liberty is Christ the Lord. We are to walk in Him. Sin was the bondage out of which we have been brought. Holiness is the liberty into which we have been called. The desires of a heart that enjoys redemption cannot but flow to Godward as their home and rest.

(2) If you know the presence of the Lord, and if you experience the delight of His company, you may then appropriate the promise of this Psalm: "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Instead of fretting let the godly trust in the Lord, and he will find that while the wicked “shall soon be cut down,” the one who trusts will dwell in the land and be fed.

Instead of fretting because of evil doers, let the believer delight in the Lord, and he shall be satisfied.