Delight Yourself in The Lord -- Rejoice in His Mercy

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. " (Psalm 37: 4)

I used to read this passage, and I was really thrilled about the promise. Delight in God, and He will give me whatever I want.

Then other believers told me that delighting in the Lord restrains us from wanting things that are worthless or even bad for us. I agreed, yet I did not understand what it means to delight in Him.

Then I read Micah:

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. " (Micah 7: 18)

God delights in "mercy", or grace, or unmerited favor. He is not interested in holding us accountable for our sins, but rather desires us to be free. David recites:

"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." (Psalm 32: 2)

King Jehoshaphat of Judah, with his people, rejoiced in God's mercy, or grace, when they faced the impossible odds of surrounding forces:

"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. " (2 Chronicles 20: 12)

A prophet in the midst of the fearful people of Judah declared:

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. " (2 Chronicles 20: 17)

Sending forth first men to praise the Lord, Jehoshaphat instructed to praise the Lord for His forever favor:

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever." (2 Chronicles20: 21)

The people of Judah did not have to wage any fight, for the Lord confused their surrounding enemies to slay each other and leave behind spoils which took three days to collect.

Today, if you are facing an insurmountable challenge, if you know in your heart what you desire, or if you are unsure what to do, meditate on the essential truth that in Christ  and praise Him that through His death all of your sins are forgiven, the crucial element which releases God to move in your heart and grant to you whatever He works and wills in you to do.