Over the weekend, I preached from Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I have loved this passage of Scripture because of how it ministered to me through one of my friends at a time when I was struggling. My friend reminded me of this verse and encouraged me to move away from looking at my problem and instead looking at the Lord. By the way, I always find that life goes better when I minimize my problem and maximize my relationship with God.

As I prepared to preach the sermon and as I preached it, I learned a number of additional lessons.

First, I learned that this is the favorite verse of many other people. Obviously, this verse has a significant place in many people’s lives. I love Holy Scripture, and I thank God for those special verses that touch people’s hearts.

Second, Scripture blesses people and helps them deal with the difficulties of life. As “Delight yourself in the Lord” blessed me, it and many other passages bless others and help them with the hardships of life. Everyone has struggles, and everyone needs help. God’s Word continues to provide for the needs we face.

Third, Psalm 37 shows us that God has a purpose for our lives that is difficult for us to see and understand. The Psalm repeats how the wicked appear to be blessed, but this is only temporary. God is not mocked and not fooled. He knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked will perish (Psalm 1:6).

Fourth, when we delight in the Lord, the desires of our hearts often change. This may be the most important lesson I have learned. Delighting in God and spending time with Him helps us look at life through a different lens. We begin to see God and His purpose. We begin to understand the blessings and goodness of God.

Finally, this verse and the entire Psalm teaches you can trust God. You can. He wants to give you the desires of your heart.