Delight
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
Loving music as I do, I have always been fascinated with the idea of hearing God sing when He thinks about me. However, today I have focused on another word—delight. We think more about how we should delight in Him and completely miss the fact that He does take delight in us. It sounds way too easy, doesn’t it? No strings attached. Brenda L. Yoder (Mornings with Jesus) shares a lesson in gratitude.
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My friends and I were shopping on their yearly visit to my hometown, a tourist destination in Amish country. I bought a floral journal to support a local merchant, knowing I would need a new one the following year. I tucked it away when our weekend ended and didn’t think much about it.
Months later, another friend and I were sharing our faith journeys. I confided struggling with some heartaches I was carrying for my family. Bonnie responded by praying that God would show me His delight in me.
The word delight intrigued me. I sure didn’t feel delighted in the situation. It felt heavy and hard. What did delight even mean? I imagined playing with my grandsons, who were toddlers. They brought me delight! I pictured Jesus having similar joy as He interacted with me, but my current burdens made it a fleeting vision.
The idea of delight prompted me to start a gratitude journal to focus on the Lord’s goodness rather than my sadness. I found and unwrapped the journal I’d bought months earlier. On the cover was, “The Lord delights in you.”
I giggled to myself. Was Jesus engaging with me as I do with my grandsons? I felt Him smile as I opened the journal and started a daily discipline of making gratitude lists.
FAITH STEP: Intentionally create experiences that foster gratitude and delight. Notice how it changes your relationship with Jesus.