Daily
Devotional

When I think of the word “delight,” I generally think along the lines of something very good happening to me. For example, I would be delighted to get a promotion or a big raise at work. A young man would probably be delighted if the girl he admires would agree to go out with him, and a student would be delighted to learn he had earned an “A” on a difficult test. Right now, my wife is delighted to be able to look out the window and see snow accumulating on our lawn. Basically, we become delighted when special things happen to us.

In our focus verse, the word “delight” is used in a slightly different way. We are not told to sit around and wait for something good to happen; rather, we are incited to take initiative and “delight ourselves.” How exactly do we do that?

Delighting ourselves in the Lord begins with appreciating what He has done for us. If we have served God for any length of time, He has done some really good things in our lives. We cannot help but be delighted when we get quiet before Him and relive those experiences. This morning, while in prayer, I found myself going back in my mind over a few of the high points in my life. I remembered how close to Him and joyful I was when I received my spiritual experiences, and then I thought of other times He has blessed my soul. Without fully realizing it, I was delighting myself in the Lord.

Another way we can delight ourselves in the Lord is to be sensitive and observant of everyday blessings. For example, when I look at the beautiful snow-covered hills that surround our valley, I thank God for allowing me to live here. Further thanksgiving wells up for giving me the eyesight to see such vistas, for a precious wife with whom to share them, and for a thousand other blessings He has bestowed upon me. As we start looking for things for which to be thankful, we will be amazed at how much God has done for us.

There is always something to thank God for, even in difficult times. And focusing on those pleasant gifts from God helps reset our perspective regarding less-than-pleasant circumstances. We also need to remember not to limit our thankfulness in the good times. When times of blessing come, we want to enjoy and appreciate them to the fullest!

The end of the focus verse contains a promise: our reward for delighting ourselves in the Lord is that He will give us the desires of our hearts. It is as if He were saying, “Here is someone who really appreciates my blessings. I think I will bless that one even more!” May we all learn to delight ourselves in His wonderful ways.