Frustrating promises

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4

Do any Bible promises frustrate you? Some people say that Psalm 37:4 is a guarantee that you’ll get whatever you want – a spouse, a job, money. This has made me wonder at times, Why don’t I have what I want?

When a promise frustrates us because it seems that God is not fulfilling it, maybe it’s because we don’t understand what the verse really means. Here are three suggestions to help, using Psalm 37 as an example:

Consider the context. Psalm 37 is telling us not to worry or be envious of the wicked. Our focus is not to be on what they have, nor on what they seem to be getting away with (vv. 12-13). Instead, we are commanded to trust and delight in the Lord (vv. 3-4).

Consider other verses. We’re taught in 1 John 5:14 that our requests need to be according to God’s will for us. Other Scriptures on the same topic can give us a balance.

Consult a Bible commentary. In The Treasury of David, C. H. Spurgeon says this about verse 4: "[Those] who delight in God desire or ask for nothing but what will please God." Doing a little deeper study can help us understand frustrating Bible verses like this one.

As we learn to delight in the Lord, His desires will become our own and He will grant them. – Anne

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

By the living Word of God I shall prevail,

Standing on the promises of God. – Carter

READ: Psalm 37:1-24

You can’t break God’s promises by leaning on them.

The Bible on one year:

• 1 Chronicles 25-27

• John 9:1-23