“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 BSB)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV)
Lately I have been asking myself, “Self, who and/or what do you delight in?” I am also asking myself, “Self, what do you treasure most in this life? (after all where my treasures are there will be my heart also)” I think that the answer to these 2 questions is critical to understanding where I am today, and determining where I will be tomorrow.
So, what is “delight” anyway?
According to Webster’s Dictionary, delight is to “take pleasure” or “to give keen enjoyment” or to “give joy or satisfaction to.”
Just what does it mean to “delight” myself in the Lord?
According to Strong’s Concordance, “the Hebrew word translated “delight” (עָנַג, pronounced aw-nag) literally means to be delicate or feminine (Strong’s, עָנַג.) It carries the idea of being pliable or sensitive. In this particular context, it means to be dependent upon God and to derive one’s pleasure from Him”
At this point I must ask myself, “Self, if anyone watched you closely for a week would they see a person whose delight is in the Lord?” When I look in the mirror do I see the face of someone whose life is dedicated to the Lord? Am I completely dependent on God and finding my pleasure in Him? Am I consumed in finding the Lord and His Kingdom, or am I just seeking earthly pleasures to satisfy my cravings and selfish desires?
I have learned that the way to trust the desires of my heart is to make Jesus the Lord of every area of my life (especially my desires and whatever brings me pleasure). When I delight in the Lord, seek first the Kingdom, and submit my desires to His desires, I begin to desire the things He desires. When His desires become my desires I can move forward in faith and confidence knowing that the desires of my heart will be fulfilled. That is when the reality that all of God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” takes hold of my life. Everything that belongs to my Heavenly Father belongs to me. Every promise He has made is mine. Everything that Heaven has to offer has been freely given to me.
I am in love with Jesus! I truly do delight in the Lord. He is everything to me. He has filled my heart to overflowing with desires. I am like a kid on Christmas Eve who can’t sleep in anticipation of tearing the paper off my presents. Life is getting better every day as I learn to put first things first, and point my attention and affections in the right direction.
I am thrilled about..
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 85: “I am learning to ‘Delight’ in the Lord.”