Delight yourself in the Lord!
Psalm 37:4 – Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Definition:
- Webster Dictionary – is to take pleasure or to give keen enjoyment” or to “give joy or satisfaction to.”
- Therefore, to delight in God’s Law/Word is to “take pleasure in the Word of God.” In simple words, it means we enjoy the Word. It is like your favorite dessert or food.
Taking delight in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him.
If we truly find satisfaction and worth in Christ, we truly rejoice or delight in the eternal things of God.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Colossians 3:1 – If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
I. Only God can give us pleasure and satisfaction
- “He gives us life and abundant”.
- John 10:10 – The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
- He satisfies our desires with Good things!
- Psalms 103:5 – who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
- Psalms 107:9 – for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
- Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- He wants us to have complete joy
- John 15:11 – I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
- Joy – (Greek) ”chara” means joy, calm delight, or inner gladness
II. 3 things of God in which we should delight
- Delight in God’s Word
- Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments.”
- Psalm 119:16 – I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”
- Psalm 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
- Jeremiah 15:16 – Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing (delight) of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.”
- Delight in God’s Presence
- Psalm 73:28 – But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
- Psalm 16:11 – You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
- Psalms 27:4 – One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
- Delight in God’s Will
- Psalm 40:8 – I delight to do thy will, 0 my God!”
- One person wrote, “Make Your will my heart’s desire.” I wanted not only to do His will, but to actually desire it for myself, as if it were my own will, and to even find joy and pleasure in doing His will.
III. Reasons for which we do not delight in God
- Because our idols have taken precedence
- 1 John 5:21 – Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
- Matthew 6:24 – No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon
- Because the world has distracted us
Satan uses worldly things to distract us.
We can see that in Matthew 4.
Jesus was tempted by Satan.- 1 John 2:15-17 – Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 – “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
- Andrew Gray (1634-1656), a remarkably gifted Scottish preacher who went home to be with Christ at the age of 22, stated that “often our delight is in this present life, and not upon God. Our worldly-mindedness, as it were, has eaten up all our love to God and has consumed all the delight that we had in Him.”
- 2 Timothy 4:10 – For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia
- This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to delight in God’s way, He will always provide above and beyond our expectations.
- Because we fail to persevere in prayer
- Luke 18:1 – Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.
- Neglect of prayer is one of the greatest causes of backsliding.
- John Wesley said that the neglect of prayer is a grand hindrance to holiness.
- Spending time in prayer is a burden/duty rather than a delight.
- James 4:8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
- Because we neglect His Words
- More than 2 billion Christian in the world…
A recent poll indicates that 35% of born-again Christians do not read the Bible at all. In addition, among those who say they read the Bible, the vast majority only read it during the one hour they attend church each Sunday morning. Number of Christians who read the Bible daily range from 16 to 25%.
- Psalm 19:7-11 – The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
- John Piper in reply to the question “How can I come to delight in the Word of God” says “My answer would be twofold: pray for new taste buds on the tongue of your heart; meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.
- Psalms 119:10-11 – I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
- More than 2 billion Christian in the world…
- Because we try to distance ourselves from His body, the church.
- Hebrews 10:25 – not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Participation in a church is essential to the spiritual health of individual Christians.
Conclusion
- Isaiah 26:9 – My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
- Psalms 42:1-2 – As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
