Tuesday I was home sick but I still had several things on my “to do” list I wanted to accomplish. Even though I wasn’t feeling well I decided to have my devotional time with the Lord.

Usually what I do for my quiet time is to read a certain number of chapters from a book in the New Testament and Old Testament and the Proverb for the day. As I turned to II Peter, the book I was reading through at the time, I noticed the section for the day was smaller than usual. I thought, “Great, I will be able to get through this quickly and get on to my list of things I want to get done.”

I don’t know how that statement struck you as you read it, but as it passed through my mind I realize how bad it was. I wanted to hurry through my time with the Lord so I could work on my tasks for the day. Doesn’t sound like the right attitude, does it?

A verse that has been my personal theme verse the past several years came to mind. It is Psalm 37:4 which reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

That idea of “delight yourself in the Lord” hit me as I thought about hurrying through my quiet time. Clearly I wasn’t delighting in the Lord with that!

As you think through the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, the idea of delighting in the Lord comes up time and time again.

A few verses that come to mind are:
Psalm 111:2 “Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them.”

Psalm 119:174 “I long for Thy salvation, O Lord, And Thy law is my delight.”

Psalm 1:1-3 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

As these and other verses state, there is great spiritual reward and rich blessing when I delight in the Lord. Not just rush through. Not just give Him a passing glance. Not just like who He is and what He does for me. But truly delight.

What does it mean to delight in the Lord? How do I know if I am doing it?

The word “delight” means to have great pleasure or satisfaction. There may be many things in life we delight in. We can take great pleasure in a certain food, in time alone reading a book or getting a phone call or email from a friend.

When you are delighted with someone it is a pleasure for you to be with them. Instead of counting the minutes you wonder where the time has gone. There is a sense of satisfaction and comfort just being in their presence. Their company and interaction is rewarding and enjoyable, something you look forward to rather then dread and endure.

For me at times it is easy to fall into more of a mundane routine with the Lord. Rather than delighting in Him, my time with Him, my thoughts about Him, it can become rote and ritualistic.

I think this is why He often allows difficult and challenging things to come into our lives. So we will look to Him, relate to Him, be shaken from our complacency. He desires a fresh, vibrant, alive relationship with us. His desire is that we do delight in Him.

Psalm 37:4 isn’t a blank check for me to get everything my little heart may desire. It tells me that as I delight in the Lord, as I take great pleasure and satisfaction in knowing Him and growing in relating to Him in a deeper and personal way that He will adjust my desires and cause them to come in alignment with His. Then He will accomplish them. When that happens it makes my life more fulfilling, rewarding and full of joy.

How are you doing in this area in your life? Do you find yourself truly delighting in the Lord, having pleasure and satisfaction with Him? Or do you see that often your relationship with His is a chore?

To have a life more filled with delighting in the Lord Psalm 1:1-3 is a great set of verses to contemplate and pattern after.

Delighting in Him does take work and time, but He promises the rewards and rich blessing for our lives spiritually will be incredible.
Mark