One of the privileges of walking with God is our delight in God. Being delighted takes us out of the realm of following a religion and allows us to relate to our Lord in a personal way! God also takes pleasure in His children and enjoys being delighted in us.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23-24
The word “delight” has two different meanings in the above scriptures:
Verse 4: Delight (Strong’s H6026): to be soft, be delicate, and to be dainty.
Verse 23: Delight (Strong’s H2654): to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with
of men: to take pleasure in, delight in, to delight, desire, be pleased to do,
of God: to delight in, have pleasure in, to be pleased to do, to move, bend down.
Our relationship with the Lord is not an equal relationship, therefore, our delight looks different from God’s delight. When we delight in God, it is the declaration of our trust and confidence in the Lord. Being delighted, means that we are willing to be pliable, soft, and vulnerable. We don’t allow the issues of life cause us to have a hardened heart towards God. We don’t get off the Potter’s wheel. When we delight in God, we are yielded, and the Lord is able to direct our path and guide us into His plans and His purpose for our lives.
God’s delight looks different. He is the one in charge. When God delights in us, He has the power to approve of us and bend His ear towards our needs. The delight of God is an awesome favor. It is like Esther when she came before the King uninvited. She could have lost her life, but the King extended his scepter towards her and showed his favor (See Esther 5:1-3). Similarly, when the God of the universe delights in a man, it is the greatest complement and blessing in one’s life. To know that He is pleased with us, fills us with awe, security, and significance. He bends His ears to hear our prayers and shows Himself strong on our behalf.
We always have a reason to delight in the one who is trustworthy and faithful. He has shown His love towards us through His son and has made a way for us to be in relationship with Him!The beauty of our relationship with the Lord is that as we trust His love towards us, we give Him the reigns of our lives, and He directs our steps. The steps we take produce fruitful results, and they glorify God. The Lord takes pleasure in seeing our lives fulfill His purpose, and He delights in us. As you can see, God’s delight and our delight create a life-giving cycle of faith.
Read Psalm 37. Begin the week by delighting yourself in the Lord, being faithful, and doing good wherever you go. This begins a cycle of faith that will reward you with His delight, His peace, and His joy!
