Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Thomas Brooks once said, "Ah, friends, if you would but in good earnest set upon reading of the holy Scriptures, you may find in them so many happinesses as cannot be numbered."
There may be days when we struggle to find any sense of happiness in our lives. For we are all on a roller coaster ride. We have moments of great joy and elation, only to be followed by the drop off into utter sorrow and despair. That's life!
But if we immerse ourselves in God's word, we can find true happiness in His promises, by what He has done, is doing and will do in our lives, if we only dedicate and commit our lives to His word.
One key aspect we often tend to neglect is prayer and reading the holy Scriptures. This leads to laziness and allows sin to creep in and steal our joy. Especially when we are in a season of sorrow and despair.
In those moments, we feel like God is absent or He is ignoring us. Neither of which is true. God may allow us to go through a time or a season of misery to teach us to trust in Him, if only to change our heart.
If we delight ourselves in the Lord, that is to take great pleasure in Him, and love Him first above all other things, then and only then can we find true happiness. By reading His word, meaning reading more than one verse, but in context, we will find power and will delight in the Lord. Then, He will give us the desires of our heart.
Do not misinterpret what Psalm 37:4 is saying. God is not a magic genie or a wish dispenser. He wants us to live a life full of joy and happiness. This why He sent Jesus into the world, so that while we are still living and breathing here and now, our joy will be full. John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
Let us take some time today and set aside the worries of the day. Read the Scriptures and delight ourselves in the Lord. Then God can and will restore our joy.
In the love of Jesus Christ,
Pastor Tom
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