Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. – Psalm 37:4, Amplified Bible (AMP)

The word “delight” in Psalm 37:4 is the Hebrew word “anag.” It is used ten times in the Old Testament, and it is translated seven times as “delight,” one time as “delicate,” one time as “delicateness,” and one time as “sport.” Its meanings, according to Strong’s Concordance, include the following:

1. to be soft, be delicate, be dainty
2. to be happy about, take exquisite delight in
3. to make merry over

Interestingly, the word “delicate” has many meanings, one of which is to be “pleasing to the sense of taste or smell.” “Dainty” has a similar meaning: “something delicious to the taste, something choice or pleasing.” When we put all of this together, we get a panoramic view of what it means to take “delight” in God’s Word:

Be soft of heart and open to the teachings of God’s Word, and be happy about and full of merriment over the things you are learning. As you do so, you will become pleasing to The Lord, like the sweet smelling savor of the Old Testament sacrifices.

As we become pleasing to God while taking delight in His Word, is it any wonder that He would delight in granting us the desires of our hearts? Not really, especially when we realize that as we take delight in Him, the wicked desires of our hearts will melt away, and the holy desires of God Almighty will take their place. When our desires are God’s desires for us, it is a no-brainer that God would grant them to us.

How do you approach your study of God’s Word? Do you do so with a hard heart and out of a sense of dutiful drudgery? Or, do you do so with a soft heart out of a spirit of merriment and happiness? The attitude with which you approach God’s Word will not only determine how much you get out of God’s Word; it will also influence how ready God will be to grant you the things you desire.

The next time you pick up your Bible, remember that you are holding the very words of the Creator of the Universe in your hands. This is a precious privilege that most people throughout history have never had, and even today there are millions around the globe who long to touch God’s Word but cannot do so. Take delight in the Bible you’ve been given. Soak up its lessons, become a delight to God, and enjoy God’s great gifts as He grants you the desires of your heart.

* Definitions of “delicate” and “dainty” taken from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, iPad app.

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