What do you think of when you hear the word “delight”? The word simply means “to take great pleasure in.” Recently, I had what I consider a delightful experience when I visited one of my good friends and her six-week-old son. She lives about three hours from me, so my mom and I made the drive together on a beautiful fall day. We spent the afternoon catching up with my friend, hearing about her adventures in motherhood, and snuggling her sweet baby. He was precious—perfectly content being held by us, and we were more than content to hold him! He slept through most of the visit, but we got to see his wide eyes for at least a little bit, and even caught a couple smiles. He was a true delight.

There are many possible sources of delight: a special occasion or time spent with loved ones; a favorite season or a scenic area that we love; a hobby, a song, or even something as simple as fresh bread. God has given us many good things to enjoy in life. He loads us with blessings.

Have you ever stopped to consider what God delights in? What brings a smile to His face? Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” In other words, a few of the things that God considers a delight are: showing love and kindness, carrying out justice and fairness, and upholding what is right and true.

Knowing what brings God pleasure tells us a lot about who He is. From this one verse in Jeremiah, we can conclude that God is not selfish—His delight is from things that benefit others. He is interested in our wellbeing. He wants to see good prevail over evil in the world. He is a good God.

According to the first half of Jeremiah 9:24, knowing God is the most important thing to know in life. It is one of the few things we can rightly “glory in,” or boast about. Of course, God was not advocating for us to be prideful about how well we know Him. Rather, He was warning us not to boast or trust in false sources of security, such as our own intelligence, strength, or wealth. Those can be lost in a moment. Knowing God and understanding who He is reveals to us something worth boasting about—something truly glorious—which is Him.

Considering other Scriptures that mention things that delight God will help us know Him even better. Here are a few:

·      Justice. “A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1).

·      Uprightness. “They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight” (Proverbs 11:20).

·      Truth. “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22).

·      Mercy. “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18).

I love this list. It is a great comfort to know that these are the types of things that delight God. Considering how much we need mercy, the fact that He enjoys extending it is a big relief. In fact, everything God enjoys is a big relief. The One who is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and sovereign over all, delights in justice, lovingkindness, truth, and mercy. We are in very good hands.

Some Scriptures mention things we can do to delight God. What a thought—ordinary people like us can bring God delight. So, in addition to gaining insight into God’s character from these verses, we can also learn practical ways that we can bless God, or ways to show Him our appreciation for all He has done for us. Most of these come naturally to those who love God, but it is helpful to remember and rehearse them. Here are a few:

·      Repent of sin. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:7).

·      Hold God in reverence and hope in Him. “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 147:11).

·      Obey God. “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).

·      Pray. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight” (Proverbs 15:8).

·      Do good deeds and share with others. “But to do good and to communicate [share] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).

·      Seek and receive the kingdom of God. “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:31-32).

These verses offer a wealth of information about who God is, and meditating on them is very encouraging. Some think that God despises sinners, but the opposite is true—sinners are a source of great joy in Heaven, when they repent. Those who are seeking a promise from God can take courage in the fact that it is His pleasure to give His children the kingdom. That means one way we can bring God joy is by pressing in until we receive. Our prayers alone are a delight to Him, which reminds us that He also wants to, and will, answer our prayers. When we are generous to others and help those in need, whether or not anyone else notices or appreciates our efforts, we have made our Father in Heaven “well pleased.”

These lists are by no means exhaustive, and much more could be said about each one. Something we can easily notice from them is that everything that pleases God also brings blessing to our own lives. It is impossible to out-give God because the only things He wants from us also benefit us. He is so good. The Psalmist understood this when he prayed, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). When we understand who God is, it is easy to find our delight in Him.

Some things that delight us probably seem trivial compared to what delights God. Of course, we also appreciate lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness; these are core values that form the foundation for being able to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. For that matter, I believe God also appreciates scenic views, changing seasons, good food, and family—after all, He is the one who created these things, and He said they were “very good” (Genesis 1:31). No doubt, at least part of His pleasure in them comes from seeing us enjoy what He created, because He delights in lovingkindness.

We serve a wonderful God. The more we know and understand Him, the more we realize that He is Someone to glory in. And while our circumstances in this sinful and fallen world are not always delightful, God still gives us blessings to enjoy every day, and we have the opportunity to bring Him joy too. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear God say about us, “This is my beloved Son [or daughter], in whom I am well pleased”? That was what God said about Jesus (see Matthew 3:17). Enoch had that testimony too (see Hebrews 11:5), and it can be ours as well. Each day, as we appreciate and enjoy all the good things God has given, may we also take opportunities to be His delight.

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