True Delight

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:1-7 ESV).

 

The smell of flowers, the sound of a soft rain, the taste of a freshly baked cookie are all de­lightful things. As our meme recalls today, a true and satisfying friendship is also delightful. Our psalm today declares the most delightful experience of all is knowing God. This knowledge is not simple things about God; it is the personal relationship that comes from being redeemed.

 

The real question then becomes, “How do we get to know God?” It begins with God, actually, for God is the one who has created us, provided for us, and made clear to us that he is our Creator and Savior. And God calls us to trust in him and live by his ways, to commit ourselves wholly to him, entrusting our lives, families, jobs, and possessions into his control and guidance. We grow to recognize that God can care for us better than we can care for ourselves. Along the way we also learn to be patient and willing to wait for God to work out what is best for us.

 

To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. That happens only when we know the person well. To delight in the Lord means not simply that we know God, but that we know him well. To make sure we can know God as deeply and intimately as God wants us to know him, the Lord came to us in Jesus Christ and lived with us so that we could meet him in person. He showed his love in countless ways, taught and challenged us to live for God’s kingdom, prayed for us, gave up his own life as the payment for our sin, and rose to life again in victory over sin and death—all for our sake! To know God is to know Jesus and take delight in him!

 

I have found the most effective means to get to really know Jesus is through the Scripture. After all, the entirety of the Bible is focused on who Jesus is and what He has accomplished on our behalf. When I read the Scripture I find that I can get to know Jesus better if I am very intentional in looking for Him through its pages. It’s actually much easier than it might at first appear. Find Jesus today… that will be a true delight in your life!