Word of the Week - Delight
The Lord delights in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love. Psalm 147:11
Delight - According to Merriam-Webster, Delight is defined as a high degree of gratification or pleasure – Joy. When we think of the Delight in the context of our relationship with God we often think of our Delighting in God and His amazing creation and love for us. I have written a Word of the Week on how God wants us to Delight in Him and what that looks like. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you thedesires of your heart”. That is a powerful win/win statement.
God Delights in us – I was on a men’s ski trip this past week for a few days with a great group of men. Don Ankenbrandt and Chuck Scott hosted the trip at Young Life’s Crooked Creek Lodge in Winter Park. I love spending time with men fellowshipping in the Lord and enjoying God’s amazing creation. It is such a great trip because we have an awesome time skiing but we also enjoy delicious meals together and begin and end each day with a word from one of the guys in the group. This year the theme was about how God really sees us as His sons and daughters. The enemy would want us to believe this lie that God is disappointed in us and even angry at us because we are imperfect people that are working through the challenges of life. The enemy of our soul would want us to believe that we are not worthy and make us feel guilt and shame and less than worthy. How we see ourselves in context to our relationship with God is huge as it relates to our spiritual health and ability for God to use us to live to our full potential.
The Truth according to God’s Word is that our Father Delights in us as our Abba Father. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry “Abba Father”. Romans 8:15 I so love the reality that God desires to be our Abba Father, He desires to be our Pappa. This picture for me is a loving and gentle Father as described through God’s word but so well in one of my favorite psalms “The Lord (Abba) is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not accuse or treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the East is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8-12 Like my friend Glenn Campbell shared with us on the ski trip, God Delights in us like we delight in our kids and grandkids. As a father of 3 awesome daughters who I love deeply I get this because I truly Delight in all three of my daughters. That being said, there is something about my 6 grandkids that has taken this to another level. I almost cannot describe the Delight and warmth I have in my heart towards my grandchildren. Taking a step back and gaining perspective, understanding that God our Father sees me from the same perspective I see my grandchildren but at a much greater level. This helps me understand and receive this beautiful reality. It is truly a game changer when we can clearly see and understand God’s view of us.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is thelove of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all thefullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19
God Delights in you and me because of who we are in Christ Jesus! Let’s receive this and walk in it so we have the capacity to share it with others. We can only give what we have….
Have a great week….
-Duane