“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

One of my father’s notorious sayings to his children was, “Because I said so.” He was not known for explaining why he asked us to do or not to do a task. He was the head of the household, and what he said was law, no explanation needed, especially to his children.

On the other hand, my mother was very patient and would take her time to explain the reason for her request. Of course, I preferred my mother’s style. Choosing to obey her desires seemed easier, and her way was more in alignment with God, the Father’s approach.

God could have made us robots; people who operate on auto-pilot without the power of choice. He didn’t. He wanted a people who would obey Him out of love and reverential fear. Therefore, He makes statements such as, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live” Deuteronomy 30:19.

God doesn’t want us to merely obey Him because He said it’s the better choice, but He wants us to delight in obeying His commands; to be joyful about it. The psalmist states that we are a blessed people when we delight in doing the will of God. “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord…” (Psalm 1:2).

The Hebrew word for delight in this passage means to take pleasure in, to be bent on or incline toward, to be favorably disposed toward someone.

We have been asking the question, “What Does God Need?” He needs us to take pleasure in and incline ourselves toward obeying His commands. When we do, He rewards us by giving us the desires of our hearts, according to Psalm 37:4.

The Hebrew word delight in the psalm mentioned above means to be soft and pliable. This means we should be so bent toward and moldable in God that we can’t see where we end and God begins. When I illustrate this point, I entwine two pieces of cloth, one red (representing us) and one white ( representing God). When we delight in God, we are wrapped up in Him, twisted and woven into Him to the extent that God’s will for us becomes our delight.

We have to know God’s ways to take please in obeying Him. Moses wanted to be joyful about His assignment of leading the children of Israel of Egypt, so He meets with God to get to know His ways. “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. (Exodus 33:13)

God indeed blesses those who delight in Him and His ways. King Jehoshaphat took delight in the ways of the Lord (2 Chronicles 17:6), and the Lord blessed him and Judah with peace. The fear of the Lord fell on all the surrounding nations, and they brought Jehoshaphat gifts.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist repeatedly speaks of delighting in the statues, precepts, and ways of God. Here are a few references:

• “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. (Psalm 119:16)
• “Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.” (Psalm 119:35)
• “And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love.” (Psalm 119:47)
• “Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight.” (Psalm 119:77).

Beloved, let’s take our cue from the psalmist and delight in obeying God’s commands. The Lord’s ways shouldn’t be drudgery but joyful. Besides, we get a bonus when we find God’s ways pleasurable, and He blesses us with the desires of our hearts.

Paul wrestled with his flesh at times, but he declared, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” Romans 7:22

Let’s pray…

Lord, sometimes I’m like Paul, two members are competing in my body, one who wills to do good and another warring against my mind, but I know You will deliver me. Thank You for the law of liberty that helps me to say, “Lord, I delight in doing Your will!” Amen.

Now, let’s declare: “The Lord is my delight!”

Posted by on Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 @ 11:04AM
Categories: Empowering, Encouragement, Inspirational