The Delight of God

       Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4.

What is delight? Delight is more than being happy, for happiness disappears as the reason disappears, and another emotion takes its place.

         Delight is an underlying Joy that never goes away. Delight is a combination of Hope, Love, and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Delight is an ‘at home’ feeling of belonging and being loved.  

                  As a child, I took delight in the stories my Dad told over and over. His laughter continues to echo in my heart for the past forty years. He made the stories of the Old Testament unforgettable after all these years.

         Each time I relive the delight of being home with Mom I remember reading what she wrote, every song I hear, and the tantalizing aromas coming from the kitchen. I look into the face of a single flower and I remember her giving heart.

         Together, my parents taught me how loving Jesus is the Essence of Delight. Life with my husband and four children taught me even more of the joy of everlasting, and the tenderness, the reason for His Delight.

         The first three words of the Fruit of the Spirit are Love, Joy, and Peace. These are ours through a walk with Jesus in this life and lead to an eternal abiding of Delight with our Lord.

         The first verse I learned is, God is Love, in I John 4:8. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. The commandments Jesus taught give more reason to Love. And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.

         The third Fruit of the Spirit is Peace. It is when I disobeyed my mother and I felt her eyes on me, I knew, she knew. There was no peace. It is when we follow the two commandments of love; we know the peace Jesus brings. He knows and sees our hearts. Jesus died on the cross to give us forgiveness. This forgiveness is called Grace, a free gift. Another favorite verse is from John 14:27. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

         It was 1947, Mom taught the small church choir this song by Austria Wihtol: My God and I go in the fields together,  We walk and talk as good friend should and do; We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter, My God and I walk through the meadows hue; We clasp our hands; our voices ring with laughter; My God and I walk through the meadows’ hue.

         These lyrics continue to come to my heart when I think of the Presence of Jesus.  Walking together, face to face, with hands clasped, what Delight it is to have Jesus as my Friend.  What is the underlying joy of our lives? It is the love of Jesus.   

Delight goes both ways. God delights in us and we delight in the Lord.

How can we not find joy daily in the delights God has given us?

         Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2.

         Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” Psalm 35:27.

         The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in his way; though he falls, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24.

         Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me:  I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:7-8.

         Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care.  The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. Ecclesiastes 12:9-10.

          Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  but let him who boasts boast in this, that He understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

         Other scriptures are some of my favorites and give a view into the Delight God gives us in this life and more in the next.

         May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13.

         Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8.

         For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.

         The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentation 3:22-23.

         See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure. I John 3:1-3.

         For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalm 86:10-11.