MARCH 2025
HE IS MY DELIGHT 2
In the February edition last month, we talked about how to delight in the Lord. One of the most important things that came out is the fact you can’t delight in someone you don’t know. This means it’s about having an amazing relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. To have this relationship, you have to spend time together. So you get to know God, in His Word, in nature, in praise, and in worship and so much else. Out of this place you can really delight in the One you have come to know and love.
Let’s begin by talking about how not to delight in the Lord, and then we will write about how to delight in Him.
Isaiah 58:1-3 tells us about how the God felt with the way the Israelites behaved towards Him. Their pious acts didn’t impress Him. Jesus called it outward appearances because it didn’t come from a pure heart that was devoted to Him. God said it was all religious, which really was going through motions that were powerless (1 Corinthians 4:19). None of what they were doing represented Him in anyway.
So it’s not about will power or determination. It comes from a place of a heart to heart connection and engagement with the Lord. Philippians 2:13 tells us that it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure.
We also see that Jesus delighted in His Father. He spent time with Him, and was obedient to Him. In His prayer in John 17, He said that He had done all that the Father had desired. Jesus went to the Cross in obedience to His Father, and because of His love for His brethren. He preferred God’s way than going it His way.
So the big question for us is how do we delight in the Lord. A good place to start is to look at David’s life, especially as God called Him a man after My Heart (Acts 13:22). David faced very many challenges, however He spent time getting to know God better and better.
His relationship was seen in the type of prayers throughout God’s word (Ps 1, 19, 27:4).
As David enjoyed God’s Presence, so much of God’s power, faithfulness, grace, and mercy flowed into His life. He delighted in seeing God’s nature even in creation and loved and obeyed God. He loved worshiping God so much that His heart moved God to bring the New Testament style of worship into David’s time.
We still enjoy David’s ability to delight in the Lord today as we enter into the heart of God as we enjoy the Book of Psalms written mostly by David. So like David, we can go deeper in our relationship and spend long periods in God’s Presence, loving on Him and passionately desiring Him.
We are commanded in the first commandment, to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. It’s all simply about obeying this first commandment because the Lord knew that a life totally devoted to Him, enters into a fullness that enables you walk in abundance.
Another way to delight in the Lord is by delighting in the Word of God. The Bible is God’s Word and if we read the Bible from a place of only receiving information and not a place of encountering the Author of the Bible, we will not receive the love and passion we should get. We ought to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word so we understand the word in our heart rather than receive it for intellectual purposes. This will enable transformation in our lives. God’s Word reveals His heart, thoughts, plans purposes, works and so much more. It tells of God’s love for us and the full gospel. Psalm 19:7-9 encourages us to study the Word because it’s God- breathed and it’s powerful.
When we delight in the Lord, God enables us walk in the fullness of who He says we are. He encourages us to be doers of His Word (James 1:22), and not hearers only. David said (Ps 40:8) that God’s word is hidden in his heart so it’s easy to obey God’s word. Let us read the Word too, and hide it in our hearts. When we love someone, we want to do what pleases them, and this brings them pleasure.
Worship, adoration and thanksgiving delights the Lord. He tells us (Psalm 22:3) that He is enthroned in our praises. He loves when we gather and worship Him, so there is His manifest Presence. His love and grace and power is seen. His Kingdom comes, and we see the manifestation of His Kingdom rule of righteousness, justice and peace.
May the Lord enable us to be those who delight in our Lord, Amen.
God bless you,
Mina
