What does “delight yourself in the Lord” mean?

Question:

Good evening,

I appreciate you! I have a question for you if you don't mind. Psalm 37:4 says to "delight yourself in the Lord." Is that the same as "rejoicing in the Lord" or are they different?

Thanks.

Answer:

"Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday" (Psalms 37:1-6).

The problem being addressed is that the wicked are troubling the righteous. But God assures the righteous that the wicked will not last. If the righteous will trust that God will handle the problem and focus on doing what is right, then the righteous will live in the land (while the wicked disappear) and they will have peace as they grow their faithfulness. God will give the desires of the righteous (to be undisturbed by the wicked), but the righteous have to be committed to God and His way.

The encouragement to the righteous is to focus on doing right and not to get distracted by the wicked. God will handle evil men. The righteous have better things to do with their time.

Notice the list:

• Trust in the Lord
• Delight yourself in the Lord
• Commit your way to the Lord

This is what the righteous need to do. The phrase "in the Lord" emphasizes that it is not about me but what God wants. I need to trust in God's decisions and methods. I need to find joy in living life God's way. And I need to be dedicated to following God.