How You Can Delight in the Lord - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - January 14, 2025

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NIV) 

At first glance, this verse may seem like a simple formula: delight in God, and he’ll give you what you want. But Psalm 37:4 goes much deeper than that. It highlights how we can do what’s most important from an eternal perspective: build a closer connection with our Creator. 

To take delight in the Lord means to find fulfillment and joy in who God is. It’s not just about performing religious duties or seeking God as a means to an end. Rather, it’s about cherishing God’s loving presence in your life above all else. 

The word "delight" describes a close relationship that goes far beyond obligation. Delighting in God means turning your heart toward God in gratitude and trust, centering all parts of your life around your relationship with God, and experiencing God’s powerful peace as you embrace God’s wisdom and timing. 

When you truly delight in God, something remarkable happens: your desires begin to change as you gain discernment. Instead of pursuing temporary pleasures or self-centered ambitions, you start to long for what’s most important from God’s perspective. Your prayers and priorities change for the better as you want to do what God wants. 

This doesn’t mean that God ignores the longings of your heart. Actually, God cares deeply about your own desires. But as you delight in God, the Holy Spirit purifies and shapes your desires. What you once thought you wanted may fade in importance and be replaced by a deeper craving for God’s holiness and purposes in your life. 

"He will give you the desires of your heart" doesn’t always mean immediate fulfillment. Sometimes, God’s answer to your desires involves waiting, growing, or even redirecting you toward something better. Taking delight in the Lord requires you to trust that God knows what’s best for you and to believe that God will fulfill your deepest needs in his perfect time. 

King David, who wrote Psalm 37, was no stranger to waiting on God. Anointed as a young shepherd to be king of Israel, he spent years waiting before God’s promise was fulfilled. Through those seasons of uncertainty, David learned to find his delight in God, even when his circumstances were far from ideal. 

Here are some ways you can delight in the Lord: 

-Communicate with God in prayer and meditation. Prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God. Build prayer and meditation habits you enjoy so you can communicate with God often.

-Read and reflect on the Bible every day. The Bible reveals God’s character, promises, and love for you. Include Bible reading in your schedule every day, and after you read a passage, reflect on it to grow in awe and appreciation of who God is.

-Praise God regularly. Praise shifts your focus from yourself to God and welcomes God’s power into your life. Through prayers and worship songs, you can express love to the God who loves you.

-Pursue God’s wonder and practice gratitude. Intentionally look for the wonder of God’s work in your life each day, and when you find it, thank God for it. The more you look for glimpses of God at work, the more you’ll notice them and be inspired to be thankful. The more you practice gratitude, the more you‘ll notice God’s constant care for you.

-Serve others in love: Help people in need whenever you sense God leading you to do so. When you serve others in love, you reflect God’s character and experience the joy of living out God’s will. 

Delighting in the Lord is not just a one-time action; it’s a lifestyle that involves trusting and worshiping God every day. As you delight in God, you will discover that God is the ultimate desire of your heart. No earthly blessing can compare to the joy of knowing and being known by your Creator. So, let this verse invite you to draw closer to God and experience God’s love, which will satisfy your soul in ways you can’t even imagine. 

Let’s pray:

Dear God, thank you for the invitation to delight in you. I confess that, too often, I’ve been distracted by the things of this world. Help me find my deepest satisfaction in my relationship with you. Thank you for loving me and teaching me to love you more each day. Please show me what you want for me and help me line up my desires with your will and trust in your perfect plan for my life. When I’m tempted to pursue my own way, remind me of your good purposes for me. I surrender my plans and my worries to you. Help me rest in the promise that as I take delight in you, you will fulfill the desires of my heart in your perfect time and way. Thank you, God. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/deniskomarov

Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com, on Facebook, and on  X/Twitter.

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