Missionary biographies and the testimonies of those currently serving on the field often reveal the same foundation. What drew them to heed the Lord’s call was not primarily a sense of duty or adventure, but a deep delight in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the man in the parable who discovered treasure hidden in a field and sold everything he possessed to buy that field, those who truly find Christ discover that no sacrifice is too great. The treasure is worth it all.
The sermon focuses on a single, familiar verse that captures this reality.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
(Psalm 37:4, KJV)
The verse contains three clear elements: an action, an object, and a response.
The Action: Delight Thyself
Delight is first an emotion. It is the joy that makes the heart leap. When the ark of the covenant was finally returned to its rightful place, King David danced before the Lord with all his might. The same kind of open, unreserved gladness appears in ordinary life as well. One father recalled how his young son was so openly gleeful that he earned the nickname “Flipper,” after the dolphin that would leap and spin with obvious joy.
Yet delight is also a decision. The verb is in the imperative: “Delight thyself.” It is a command. A reflexive sense is present; the person both acts and receives the benefit of the action. A believer chooses, day by day, to set the heart on the Lord rather than waiting for feelings alone to lead. Emotion and decision belong together.
The Object of Delight: The Lord
Many people experience strong delight, yet the object is often something temporary: a sports team, entertainment, travel, or personal achievement. The psalmist directs the command specifically: “Delight thyself also in the LORD.” The object is God Himself, Yahweh.
A hospital visit in Honduras illustrated the point. A mother had left her running car with the keys and her child still inside. When she realised what had happened, she seized a rock and smashed the rear window without hesitation. Her delight in the child produced immediate, costly action. In the same way, when the Lord is the true object of delight, the believer finds it natural to release lesser things in order to follow Him.
The Response: He Shall Give Thee the Desires of Thine Heart
A common misunderstanding treats the promise as a formula: delight in the Lord and He will grant whatever one already wants. The verse teaches something deeper. When a person delights in the Lord, God Himself shapes the desires of the heart so that they align with His own. The believer begins to love what God loves: the souls of men and women, the local church under the headship of Christ, and the advance of the gospel.
This is the thread that runs through missionary lives. Families leave parents, language, culture, and familiar comforts, often facing real danger, because the desire to go has been placed there by the Lord. One missionary recalled a moment of stark violence in Honduras. While stopped at a traffic light after an evangelistic outreach, gunfire erupted nearby. A man on a bicycle was shot, then finished off as he tried to rise. The instinct was to protect the young people in the vehicle and leave the scene. Yet the deeper certainty remained: the Lord had led the family there, and the purpose was not personal safety or comfort.
Years later, after the death of a son, a grief counsellor asked what the young man might say if he could speak from heaven. The answer that came was simple: Jesus Christ is everything. He is worth everything. The same conviction appears in the journal of Jim Elliot, written on 28 October 1949, before he and four other families went to Ecuador. Elliot wrote that the most extravagant dreams of boyhood had not surpassed the experience of being in the will of God, and he added the now-famous line: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Conclusion
The call remains the same for every believer, whether young or older, whether sensing a possible call to another land or serving faithfully where God has already placed them. Find delight in God and in His Saviour, Jesus Christ. Let life orbit around Him as the true centre. He is the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price. When that delight is renewed day by day, the result follows: the Lord gives the desires of the heart, desires that match His own. The work of missions is not finished, and the church continues to send, give, and pray. The lasting motivation is never guilt or mere duty, but the settled joy of knowing that Jesus Christ is worth everything.
