Delighting in the Word

 

Psalm 37:4 became my life verse around my junior year of college. There was a guy I was
pining for (who has long since disappeared into the ether) and this verse felt like a promise from
God that the situation was going to turn out the way I wanted it to. Because God wants me to be
happy, right? Around this same time, I also read a story in a “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book
(remember those? – oh, the ‘90s) about a woman who claimed Psalm 37:4 as her life verse. She
created a vision book with images of her heart’s desires – the perfect husband, her dream car,
dream house, dream vacations – and, lo and behold, they all came true. I was sure that the
same could happen for me if I just believed enough.
     Thankfully, I have matured in my faith since then, and I have come to understand that prayer
is not some cosmic vending machine, and God is not a genie whose sole purpose is to grant our
requests. The promise of Psalm 37:4 is not that God will grant our every fleeting whim. After all,
it is a foolish parent who indulges every whim of the child. The earthly things that we spend so
much of our time and energy pursuing are described by the teacher in Ecclesiastes as
“meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Rather, the promise of Psalm 37:4 is that the more we
seek God and strive to find our delight in Him above all else, the more He will mold our desires
to align with His. In the words of the late great 90’s band PFR, “Quiet my desires until they die,
or align with Your will.” (“Great Lengths”)
     Also, it is important to consider this verse within the context of the rest of the psalm. The first
two verses tell us that we should not fret or be envious when we see evil-doers prosper,
because they will get what’s coming to them eventually:

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”

Still, their fate should be no concern of ours. Instead, verse 3 reminds us to keep trusting in the Lord’s goodness and appreciate the blessings He has given us:

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”

I’ve often seen in my own life that focusing on the seeming prosperity of others can be a harmful distraction, taking our eyes off of our own abundant gifts. 
     The psalm ends with a reminder that the righteous are not saved by their own merit. Their
righteousness comes from the Lord, and He is our strength in times of trouble. That is worth
more than any earthly desire of our hearts.

     My Aunt Nancy passed away in April 2020. The word “aunt” doesn’t do her justice, as she
was much more like a second mother to me. When she passed, I was given her Bible, and the
tote bag that she used to carry it in. The Bible was given to her by my grandmother for
Christmas twenty years earlier. Words can not express how precious this gift is to me, a tangible
reminder of our legacy of faith. Also, the tote bag is green, my favorite color. And it’s
embroidered with Psalm 37:4. My eyes welled with tears when it was give to me, as I took it as
a message from my Aunt Nancy, and also a reminder about how this promise has followed me
throughout my life.