Delight Yourself in the Lord

This blog post was written by a friend of mine whom I will leave anonymous.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” — Psalms 37:4

How doggedly I pursue joy and pleasure; it drives my choices almost minute by minute.

Things that I do:

Watch TV.
Converse with my wife or the kids.
Visit my grandchildren or look forward to their visits.
Golf, practice golf, buy golf clubs and I think about golf.
Work out for the pleasure of losing weight or being thin.
Work puzzles, I volunteer at church, and I go for walks.
I go to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee.

These are just “neutral or wholesome” things I do for pleasure.

But I don’t want to consider all of my negative or unwholesome or sinful actions that I pursue for pleasure.

Are the wholesome pleasures and desires that “Psalms 37: 4” promise me if I delight myself in the Lord?

I think not!

In fact, I think that conclusion is to misunderstand God’s Word here.

I believe my “focus objective” and dogged pursuit should be to pursue God Himself for pleasure.

Perhaps this one area is where I can be completely self-centered and seek personal pleasure while simultaneously obeying God and pleasing Him.

I needn’t even ask if it refers to unwholesome desires.

I expect that as I pursue God doggedly, even without the pursuit of pure or highest motives at the start, that I will over time, become more and more astounded at…

His glory, His love, His mercy, His compassion!

That I will begin to become so righteously enamored with Him that my pursuit for pleasure will become a pursuit of pleasure in Him.

At that moment I will have delighted so much in the Lord that He will have given meet the desires of my heart, which will be sweet, unhindered fellowship with Him.

So, what should I conclude?

I am free to choose, for my own pleasure, to pursue God relentlessly…

…and it will please Him.