Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart

Psalm 37:4

What does this verse mean??

It is commonly used, in Christian circles, as verse of promise and feel-good encouragement. A warm cozy blanket verse to remind the Christian that they are loved and cherished.

And yet, how many Christians out there feel cheated? That God has somehow overlooked them? Or how many Christians feel confused as in, since I don't have what I want, does that mean I don't delight enough in the Lord?

The verse obviously offers no time frame. So does this verse mean to delight yourself faithfully in the Lord, despite your current circumstances, and eventually God will bless you with the desires of your heart?

One teaching that I've heard over the years is that as you delight yourself in the Lord, your desires change to the things that are His desires, and then as they match, God will give you those things, bringing you much joy in the process...but they things may not be the same things as you originally thought you wanted. While I think there is some validity to this line of thinking, I'm not convinced that this is a completely accurate explanation.

For example...and I suppose this is my biggest "hang-up" as well...the topic of singleness and marriage. I've wanted to be married my whole life, more or less. Being a wife and mom has always been a part of my envisioned future and yet, it evades me. I will readily admit, along the lines of that previously mentioned teaching, that in my singleness there has been much delight and joy. The Lord has indeed blessed me every step of the way. I can even look at times of trial and see God's goodness permeating through those times. And I do believe that in my relationship with Him, He has planted some of His desires in my heart, making them also my own. But despite all this, the desire for a husband and a family remains. In fact, if anything, the desire has grown with time. Do I feel cheated or overlooked? No, not necessarily because I know that God is here with me, fully aware of this heart desire, and will be faithful to me, regardless of what my future looks like.

But I still struggle when I hear this verse. Am I understanding this verse incorrectly? Does it mean something more than what I think it says? If God doesn't provide a husband and family, does that mean that He has broken this promise? I don't know...

P.S. I don't like the thought that God might break a promise. The resason it doesn't sit well is because I know it is impossible...He has never broken one yet. But how do you explain this verse to the couple who remains childless, the person unable to find a job, or the person who never gets married. I don't know...

But what I do know and am thankful for is that my God's shoulders are big enough to handle my questions and dreams. So on this note, I'm signing off again and finally going to bed. :)