Delight Yourself in the Lord
On Wednesday I told you that my New Year's resolution for this year was to" delight myself in the Lord" (Ps. 37:4). What was David talking about when he said this? What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord? The note in my NLT Study Bible says, "To take delight in the LORD means aligning with the Lord's way in order to enjoy Him. If anyone knew how to do this, it was David. I find three ways that David delighted himself in the Lord.
David was always praising the Lord. Almost every Psalm he wrote contains praise of who God is or what He has done. He is full of gratitude.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2
David was always aligning Himself with God's ways. In Psalm 119, he talks about obeying God's laws, asking God to teach him to follow His decrees, and meditating on the Lord's precepts.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:16
David was always longing to be in God's presence. Anyone who wants to be with the Lord as much as David did had to find it delightful to be there.
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Ps. 27:4
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you...because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1,3-4
God's love is better than life. I agree with this statement, but as I read the things that David wrote, I realize I still have a ways to go. I enjoy spending time with the Lord, but I'm not sure I can say with sincerity that the one thing I seek is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. And though my soul thirsts for God, my body doesn't always long to be in His presence. I don't always delight in what the Bible says. Sometimes it's hard to obey. That's why this year I want to focus on delighting myself in the Lord. I believe it is the key to being satisfied and so much more!
Waiting for a wayward one to return to the Lord can be hard. It can be exhausting. You can be tempted to stop praying. You can decide it's not worth the heartache. Just pretend it doesn't hurt. Tell yourself you have faith that it will happen someday and then forget that you have a part to play. Finding delight in the Lord may be your answer. Spending time in His presence will restore your soul and be a place of comfort and safety. Like David, you can cry out to God and give Him your pain. Ask Him to replace it with joy as you talk to Him about the things you are thankful for. You just might find the peace and joy your heart desires.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11