Morning By Morning #166

Delight yourself in the LORD.

Psalm 37:4

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

This verse must seem very strange to those who know nothing of living a godly life, but to sincere believers it is simply the reinforcement of a recognized truth. It describes the life of a believer as one of “delight” in God, and as believers we are proof of the great fact that true faith overflows with happiness and joy. The ungodly, and those who merely profess to be Christians, never look at faith as something joyful, for they see it as nothing but service, duty, and necessity, never pleasure or delight. The only attention they will ever pay to faith is for what they may get from it or for fear of the consequences of not having any faith at all.

Delight as a part of faith is such a foreign concept to most people that no two words are further apart to them than holiness and delight. But those who truly know Christ understand delight and faith are so blessedly united that even “the gates of Hades will not overcome” (Matt. 16:18) or separate them. Those who love God with all their hearts discover His ways are full of pleasantness and all His paths are those of peace.

These overflowing blessings of complete joy and delight are what the saints of the Lord discover in Him. Thus, we do not serve Him out of habit or tradition, and we faithfully follow Him even though the rest of the world may speak His name as something evil. As believers, we do not fear or reverence God due to any compulsion, for our profession of faith is not a shackle of slavery. Neither are we dragged to holiness or driven to duty. No, our devotion is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, and our duty is our delight.

True faith and delight are as united as a root is to its flower and as indivisible as truth is from the facts. They are, in actuality, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold.

‘Tis when we taste Your love,

Our joys divinely grow,

Unspeakable like those above,

And heaven begins below.

Isaac Watts, 1674–1748

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Not only should you “delight yourself in the Lord,” but you should also delight yourself in His Word. And since Jesus is the Word incarnate, delighting yourself in the Lord and in His Word are actually synonymous. Therefore, it stands to reason we are incapable of delighting in the Lord without spending quality time in His Word.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:1 – 2). “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8 KJV). “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word” (Ps. 119:16). “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors” (Ps. 119:24). “In my inner being I delight in God’s law” (Rom. 7:22).

Lord, may I not only delight in You and in Your Word, but may You also delight in me. May my walk with You bring You glory all my days!