City of Hope Family Ministries

The Bible says in Psalms 37: 4-5 (KJV) “Delight thyself also in the Lord; And He shall give thee the desires of thine heart”.

A delight is “something that gives great pleasure” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Therefore as Christians, we ought to take great pleasure in spending time in the Lord’s Presence, serving Him, and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in the Faith.

“What is the benefit of being a Christian if we do not take great pleasure in the things of God?” However, we notice nowadays that for many believers attending church regularly, praying, serving in church, or giving to support their local ministry has become a burden, and it is not normal.

As a man of God once said “God does not reveal Himself to casual seekers”. This statement perfectly aligns with Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP) “Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” As well as Matthew 22:37 (NLT) “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”

The scriptures above reveal that God is after our best. He must be at the forefront of our lives, as Christians we must thirst for Him and “delight in Him”.

The second part of Psalms 37:4 says “… And He shall give thee the desires of thine heart”. Let’s ask ourselves this question: “What is the desire of the heart of someone who is passionate about Christ?” The answer is straightforward.

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us more of Himself, we learn to know Him more in-depth and know His Heart. Once we build such an intimate relationship with the Lord, we do not need to worry about “everything else” as Paul says in Romans 8:32.

In the same way a spouse naturally takes care of his/her lover, when we cultivate a love relationship with God, He naturally cares for all our needs. Matthew 6:32 and Psalms 127:2-3 reveal that “He Knows” even before we ask.

In conclusion, as followers of Christ delighting in the Lord should be a reality in our daily lives. Whether in abundance or in hardships, we must trust that He is faithful and will see us through, while continuing to cultivate and deepen our love relationship with Him. This does not mean that we should sit idle and “wait”. God has generously imparted skills, gifts, and abilities to each of us, and He takes great pleasure in seeing us use them. As we do so while delighting in Him, “all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33 (ESV).