Did you know that God promises to give us everything our hearts desire.  But there is a catch. There is a condition wrapped around this promise. Keep watching to find out what’s the catch, so you can get the desires of your heart.

We are continuing our examination of the Life of Christ and others from the perspective of Living in a Crucible. 

Symbolically, a crucible is the fiery trials we experience as we grow and develop.

Crucibles are painful, they are uncomfortable, and they hurt, but they are beneficial in developing our character.

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 3: Sabbath.School

See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School

Inviting the Holy Spirit’s Presence

God Almighty, You have promised that you would give us the desires of our heart. Help us understand what conditions we need to meet to obtain it. In Jesus Name Amen.  

Psalms 37:4 is a promise:

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (NRSV)

Picture in your mind always getting what you want. That would be nice wouldn’t it. But there is a secret to getting everything you want. It hinges on taking delight in the Lord.

What does it mean to “take delight in the Lord?

Let’s take a look at it in its context, Psalm 37:1–11

1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. (Psalms 37:1-11)

To better understand what Psalms 37:4 means you need to know that David wrote Psalm 37 in the context of being surrounded by people who were working against God and against him.

What is our natural response when people work against us?

Anger, resentment, or we set out to try to prove ourselves.

But David instead gives us different advice on how to deal with this problem.

Let’s again look closely at some of the text in Psalms 37.  What is David’s counsel to those surrounded by people working against them.

Psalm 37:1 advises us not to worry or be bothered by these people.

1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. (Psalms 37:1)

In Psalm 37:5 we are told to devote ourselves to the Lord and put our trust in him. By doing this we can be assured that he will take care of anything that concerns us.

5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. (Psalms 37:5)

In Psalm 37:7 we are counseled to rest in God and patiently wait for him. He again advises us not to worry about those who do evil yet seem to be prosperous.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. (Psalms 37:7)

Finally, Psalm 37:8 advises us to stop being anger, put away our rage. Why because who is it harming? Not those who are doing the evil. It is harming YOU.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. (Psalms 37:8)

Offering additional context for Psalm 37:4, the book Steps to Christ, quoting Psalms 37:3 says: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Psalm 37:3. 

It points out that many are always fearing and borrowing trouble. Yet, every day they are surrounded with the indications of God’s love. Every day they are enjoying his rich blessing; but they overlook them. Instead, their minds are continually focusing on things that are unpleasant which they fear may come on them. Or they fear difficulties that may really exist but are small. Although small, they blind their eyes to the many things that demand their gratitude. —Steps to Christ, pp. 121, 122 Adapted 

Now let’s look at Psalm 37:4 again.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4)

After reading this in its context, what does David means when he says “take delight in the Lord”?

Did you notice that David again and again, but in different ways counsels us to trust God. He counsels us to put our trust God to act. He lets us know that in every situation we do not have to work it out all by ourselves. He reminds us that our Father in heaven is in control. We are counselled to Trust Him and Trust Him completely.

In every trial we have strong consolation. Is not our Saviour touched with the feeling of our infirmities? Has He not been tempted in all points like as we are? And has He not invited us to take every trial and perplexity to Him? Then let us not make ourselves miserable over tomorrow’s burdens. Bravely and cheerfully carry the burdens of today. Today’s trust and faith we must have. But we are not asked to live more than a day at a time. He who gives strength for today will give strength for tomorrow. . . .

Nothing wounds the soul like the sharp darts of unbelief. When trial comes, as it will, do not worry or complain. Silence in the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. 

“Then are they glad because they be quiet” (Psalm 107:30). Remember that underneath you are the everlasting arms. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). He is guiding you into a harbor of gracious ­experience. —In Heavenly Places, p. 269. 

The condition to receiving the desires of your heart is to delight ourselves in the Lord. What does delight in the Lord means?  It means that we live in a state of perfect trust. We have perfect trust in God. We allow nothing upset or destroy our peace. We trust that God is working things out for us. So, we can smile. We can praise Him because no one is smarter than our God! When we learn to trust God this much, then we really will get the desires of our heart. We will obtain those things for with we have a longing in our heart. We will receive the things that our loving Father wants to give us. He will give it to us at the time that it will most benefit us and his Kingdom.

Thus, David’s counsel to us is not to let our troubles upset us because God is our God. Right now, at this very moment, He is working things out for you. No, you do not have to rush in and try to fix your situation.

Trust God and wait patiently on him and he will give you the desires of your heart!