I am in Oregon visiting family, and my sister-in-law gave me her devotional to read this morning. I have read through Charles Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” many times and he always speaks a very profound truth that I can meditate on for a while. 

Last night we were sitting around talking about the very thing that this morning’s devotional was saying. I don’t usually quote more than a sentence or two, but today I want to make an exception. I could not say it any better than this, and he says exactly what I have come to believe more and more as I continue to mature and walk with the Lord.

“Delight yourself in the Lord.” (Psalm 37:4) “The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness, but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth. The life of a believer is here described as a delight in God, and we are thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. Ungodly persons and those who merely profess faith never look upon religion as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or necessity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion at all, it is either that they may gain thereby, or else because they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delight in religion is so strange to most people, that no two words in their language stand further apart than ‘holiness’ and ‘delight.’ But believers who know Christ understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them. They, who love God with all of their hearts, find that His ways are pleasant ways, and all His paths are peace. Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessings, do the saints discover in their Lord, that so far from serving Him from custom, they would follow Him though all the world cast out His name as evil. We don’t fear God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession is no bondage, we are not dragged into holiness, nor driven to duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight. Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower; as indivisible as truth and certainty; they are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold.”

Now, I may not use the eloquent words of Spurgeon quite so magnificently, but the absolute truth of what he said delights my soul and bears witness to the reality of my personal journey with the Lord. The old hymn that I am singing right now has a line that I have sung and quoted many times over the years I have journeyed with the Lord — “the longer I know Him, the sweeter He grows.” If this has not been your experience, I want to encourage you to take some time to reflect on why this is not true for you.

Have you allowed circumstances, particularly negative ones, to influence your perception of who God is? Have you just been too busy to really take some time to reflect on how good He is and how much He delights in you? Have you allowed the vain philosophies that the world promotes to influence you to disregard His magnificent love for you as the unique individual that He created you to be?

I think for me, it was just being busy with life, distracted by all the many things that can take our attention and affections. I never intentionally turned my affections or attention away from Him. Nevertheless, life has been full of things that I had to learn had lesser value. Or I could choose things that were meant to draw me closer to and more dependent upon Him. Like everyone else, I have had my share of adversity but have not allowed it to put the blame on God or bitterness to arise in my heart.

When you think about the word “delight” and God, you may never have really thought about that pleasure being something you would intentionally focus your attention and efforts upon. I want to encourage you to purpose in your heart to take a few minutes every day or several times a day, to stop whatever you might be doing (even a good thing or a religious thing like reading the Bible) and just meditate on Him and tell Him that you really love Him and delight yourself in Him just for who He is. 

We understand thankfulness for the blessings and praise for understanding how great He is, but to just gaze upon Him like a parent does a young child because they are overwhelmed with delight in this amazing being that has been entrusted to their care, brings our God great pleasure. That we choose to place our affections and attention upon Him just because we love Him, brings such delight to Him. What an amazing mystery! The creator of the universe delights in us and we can delight in Him!