“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
This wonderful Old Testament promise reinforces 3 John 2: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
Delighting in the Lord and soul prosperity are two ingredients of overcoming, joy-filled, influential followers of Jesus. They are the evidence of winning the inner victories necessary to experience the outer victory described in these two verses (prosperity in all things, being in health, and experiencing the desires of your heart).
When I speak of soul prosperity, there are two key phrases/truths I love to share:
- My response to something is almost always more important than the “something”
- What is happening in me is more important than what is happening through me
Both of these phrases inspire me to win the inner battles by giving me a vision for the long-term benefits of doing so. Soul prosperity dramatically increases the likelihood of seeing the promises of God in our lives. It is the catalytic component that makes our faith declarations unstoppable.
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” To delight means to “take pleasure in.” Pleasure is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. We could rephrase the verse, “Enjoy yourself in the Lord.” To do so is an incredible sign of faith and Christian maturity. We cannot do this unless we are letting go of perfectionism, works of the law living, unworthiness, excessive introspection, and worry.
Extract from a blog by Steve Backlund