Saturday & Sunday morning are my favorite days, especially in the spring and summer. I get to enjoy my coffee and devotions with the warm morning sunshine. I’m telling you, it is so good for the soul!
Today, I spent a few hours meditating on the first few verses of Psalm 34. Verse 4 particularly seemed to jump off the page: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Delight: (n.) great pleasure
I think of all the foolish things my heart is tempted to delight in… Many delight in treasures, status, careers, possessions, and relationships, but in these, there is never lasting satisfaction. Many seek a perfect person to satisfy their life. Many are seeking a life of perfection (or close to perfection) and believe that at that point, they will truly be happy and fulfilled. But a person and a life will never been able to fully and completely satisfy.
Look at the Bible and church history… Over and over, we see that the most joy-filled and content Christians, often found great joy - not in ordinary life because that was not their lot in life - but rather in a life filled with sacrifice, servitude, and persecution. Think of Paul & Silas in prison, singing praises to the Lord. Think of Cory Ten Boom who found reasons to thank the Lord in a rat filled prison. Think of the Sabina Wurmbrand who joyfully forgave the man who murdered her family for following Christ. It was not in the quality of their life or the person with whom they spent their life that gave them a life full of joy and contentment. How is that joy and contentment in a life like that found?
“It includes a deliberate redirection of one’s emotions… [ such as ] Paul and Silas in prison, singing as well as praying.” Kidner
…deliberate redirection of one’s emotions…
Oh what discipline!
Finding great pleasure and ultimate fulfillment in the Lord is the result of a constant seeking His face. After all, who better to help mold our hearts than the One who gave us a new one in Christ!
How can we delight in a God we do not know?
“The reason many apparent Christians do not delight in God is that they do not know him very well, and the reason they do not know him very well is that they do not spend time with him.” Boice
It is in this place where our desires align with His, and the very God who is above all yet delights in the sons of men (Proverbs 8:31) fulfills the desires of our hearts. This is the very key to a successful life! No, I do not mean the worlds definition of success but rather that, “Godliness with contentment is great gain!”