Finding The Will of God (Psalm 37:4)

Simon Yuan


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

One of the clearest differences between life before conversion and life after conversion is whose will we follow. Before coming to Christ, we lived for our own will. After conversion, we seek to live for God’s will.

But if we are to follow God’s will, we must first understand what His will is.

For years, I have discussed the topic of God’s will with fellow Christians. We all desire to know God’s will, yet many believers focus on seeking it in specific details—which school to attend, where to live, what career path to choose. We search the Scriptures for precise instructions on these matters, but we cannot find them. We believe God rules over every aspect of our lives, yet He does not give us a detailed blueprint for every decision. We are not robots. We must make both long-term plans and daily choices.

One day, I came across an article on God’s will in which the author quoted Psalm 37:4. If someone had asked me to pick a verse about God’s will, I probably would not have chosen this one. Yet as I reflected on it, this verse profoundly moved me—it made perfect sense. Psalm 37:4 really does speak to how we know and follow God’s will.

Our will is often tied to our desires; our desires fuel our decisions and actions. As Christians, our salvation is entirely by God’s grace, yet our Christian living involves our active participation—including the pursuit of God’s will. Psalm 37:4 teaches that God’s will for us begins with delighting in Him. When we delight in the Lord, He shapes our desires so that they align with His will. The biblical meaning of “delight” includes finding great pleasure, satisfaction, and joy in God.

When we genuinely seek God and find our joy in Him, our desires become shaped by His character and His purposes. Those God-shaped desires then guide our decisions and actions. For example, when we delight in the Lord, He gives us a desire for a godly family life. He prepares the way, leads us to a spouse according to His will, and teaches us to build a marriage that reflects biblical truth.

In another post, I reflected on Jesus’ teaching:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33

This parallels Psalm 37:4. When we seek God first and delight in Him, He provides for our needs—including reshaping our desires according to His will.

So rather than focusing anxiously on discovering God’s will in the specific events of life, let us first seek God Himself. Let us delight in the Lord. As we do, God will form within us godly desires and lead us step by step in His good will for our lives.

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