Desires of My Heart: When Delight Comes First
I think one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible is Psalm 37:4. People usually quote only the second half:
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV)
The Passion Translation says it beautifully: “Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most.”
Right away we see two connected phrases. The first is “delight yourself in the Lord.” The second is “He shall give you the desires of your heart.” They are joined by the word “and”—a coordinating conjunction. In grammar, that means the two parts are equal. One cannot happen without the other. They go together.
Let’s look first at the second part: the desires of my heart.
What are the desires of your heart? Is it the latest gadget? A successful career, a top position, making millions? A perfect marriage, 2.5 kids, a 4-bedroom house on the best street, a Tesla or Corvette in the driveway? Maybe health and fitness, or a thriving ministry with thousands of parishioners? Or perhaps something quieter—a godly spouse, a strong family, serving God faithfully, seeing people healed when you pray.
Those can all be good desires. But here’s the question: Are the desires in my heart coming from delighting in the Lord, or are they just things I want?
Albert Barnes wrote this about the verse: “What you really desire will be granted to you. (a) The fact that you seek your happiness in Him will regulate your desires, and (b) the fact that you do find your happiness in Him will be the reason why He will grant your desires.”
When my children were small, they loved helping me. “Mom, can I water the garden for you? Can I help make dinner?” It made them so happy when I let them. That’s a tiny picture of our Father. When I truly delight in Him, my heart aligns with His. I start wanting what He wants—for myself and for others. My desires become an extension of His heart toward His people.
What we desire reveals what we value most. Our desires shape our thoughts, our goals, our actions.
Now let’s look at the first part: delight yourself in the Lord.
In the original Hebrew, “delight” is a verb—it’s something we do. It means to be soft or pliable toward God, to find great pleasure in Him. Webster’s defines delight as a deep, lasting pleasure—not a fleeting excitement, but a steady joy.
David showed us what this looked like under the Old Covenant:
• “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)
• “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)
• “My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:34)
David found his happiness in God—His presence, His Word, His friendship. But we live under a better covenant. We don’t delight in the Law the way David did; we delight in Jesus, the Living Word. Through Him we have everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
How do we delight in Him? We explore God’s Word. We meditate on His goodness, wisdom, love, grace, mercy. We look at creation and see the work of His hands. We contemplate the cross—Jesus’ redemptive work, His resurrection, His victory. When we think on these things, joy rises in our hearts. The transformation is effortless because we’re beholding Him.
Mary in Luke 10:38–42 gives us a New Testament picture. Martha was busy serving Jesus—doing good things. Mary sat at His feet, listening to His words. Jesus said Mary chose the one thing needful: the good part that would not be taken away.
We can get so busy doing things for God that we miss the relationship with Him. Jesus first called His disciples to be with Him as friends (Mark 3:14). In John 17:6–8, He prays that they had received His words, fastened them in their hearts, and believed He came from the Father.
When we focus on relationship first—not works, not achievement—He shows us He has already given us all things through the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3–4). “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…”
Knowledge of Him grows in relationship with Him. As we delight in Him, our desires align with His. We want what He wants.
Put the two parts together: When I delight in Him, I hunger to know Him more. When I delight in Him, I desire deeper relationship. When I delight in Him, I learn His great love and love Him back. When I delight in Him, I grow in His likeness and manifest His will on earth.
My delight is in God the Father, in Jesus, in the Holy Spirit—in His power, goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, love, grace, mercy. I find pleasure in meditating on His Word. And that naturally produces desires that reflect His heart.
Psalm 37:5 (TPT) feels like the perfect follow-up: “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly!”
When we give Him free reign, and I follow as He leads, life becomes good—our desires are met, and we are fulfilled in Him. No matter the circumstances, we can see His goodness and faithfulness towards us.
Let’s pray: “Father, I choose today to make You the utmost delight and pleasure of my life. Soften my heart toward You. Help me find my deepest joy in Your presence, Your Word, Your love. Regulate my desires so they reflect Your heart. Give me what I desire most because I desire You most. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Delight in Him first. The desires of your heart will follow—and they’ll be beautiful.