By Tim Walker

 

Take Delight

 

Are you feeling overwhelmed or empty?

 

In a life that is jam packed with activity after activity, we seldom allow ourselves the time needed to cherish and worship some of the dearest qualities of Our Lord—to delight in Him. The Psalmist, David, stated it this way, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:4-5 NLT).

 

Regarding delight, Webster defines it as “a high degree of gratification” or “something that gives great pleasure.” This definition may lead you to think of other words such as craving, thirst, or relish. All, which is exactly what David is describing, as he tells us to “take delight.” How do we do this, you may ask. We worship.

 

Worshipping through delight begins by recognizing our daily need for this relationship with God. A God who is willing to meet us each morning, right where we are in this journey of life. With that daily gift of grace and love, we must yearn for a daily time of worship much in the same manner as a child yearns for his mother’s care.

 

This act of daily yearning only truly begins to happen when we long to know Our Lord with this deep level of intimacy. Therefore, to delight in the Lord, we must nurture our relationship with Him. Then, as we discover how deep the Father’s love for us indeed is, will the relationship begin to give way to true delight.

 

It is important to understand this deepening desire for delight in the Lord as we consider the rest of this passage, especially in regards to worship. As our worship of our Heavenly Father grows, so does our heart grow more in tune with His heart, allowing unity to exist. It’s not until we reach this point in our relationship with God that He is able to fulfill the desires of our heart. Once we begin to surrender to the act of true delight in our lives, we will accept His desires as our own. And, as that delight grows we know the Father’s heart deeper, richer, and fuller—causing this delight we have in Him to spill over into all areas of our life.

 

When this happens, it becomes a very natural part of our daily life. As the Psalmist says, “To commit everything you do to the Lord.” This overflow of true delight takes hold in even the most mundane of daily activities. As we daily commit all that we do to the Lord, He grows that pleasure and gratification that we long for in all that we do.

 

I know as a dad, I often look at the schedule for the week and wonder, how in the world will we survive? And I imagine that many other moms and dads, professionals, and retirees find themselves asking that same question—whether it’s the race of getting one kid to ballet, while the other needs to be at soccer practice at the same time, or the doctor, attorney, or executive that faces mounds of pressure for success. Take hope in this closing act of worship that David calls us to “trust him, and he will help you.”

 

It’s simple, actually when you stop to think about it. Begin to loosen your grip on your desires of your heart and find a solace in the delight of the Lord.

 

Take delight, Believer.

 

 

Tim Walker is the Associate Minister of Music – Instrumental at First Baptist Church, Jackson.