For years, I have used YouVersion’s Bible app. I enjoy being able to search the Scriptures quickly and compare a verse in several versions. My phone also notifies me every morning with the “verse of the day.”

Sometimes, though, a verse displayed by itself bothers me. The verse isn’t wrong. The problem is that the verse is separated from its context and can be easily manipulated by others.

One morning’s verse fell into such a category:

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4)

If someone reads only that verse, they might think delighting in God means He will give them whatever they want. Such a belief can easily feed into prosperity-gospel teaching.

Taking any single verse out of context can lead to false conclusions.

The Rest of the Story

The entire Psalm contrasts those who follow God and those who do evil. The opening verses tell God’s people not to fret because of evildoers, but to trust in the Lord and do good.

This Psalm repeatedly encourages the faithful to wait on the Lord without worry. While we wait, we trust, obey, and do good.

Psalm 37:4 isn’t a blank check for everything our hearts desire. It sits in the middle of a Psalm about trusting God, committing our way to Him, waiting for Him, and living faithfully.

The Sum of Its Parts

Humans added chapter and verse distinctions to help us locate passages more easily. While I appreciate this feature, isolating single verses without learning the context or applying the whole message makes about as much sense as giving someone flour, sugar, butter, and eggs and calling it cake.

The Bible isn’t a mystery; it’s the greatest love story in history, meant to be read, studied, and lived.

The next time you see a “verse of the day,” don’t stop with the verse. Read what comes before and after it. Find out who is speaking, who is listening, and what is actually being said. Then apply the Word in your daily life.