Delighting Ourselves In The Lord — Sunday Thought For The Day

I have often said that God is not a Santa Claus doling out gifts and presents to satiate the whims and gift lists of the unrepentant nor the worldly self serving desires of carnal Christians.

Now, some may be saying: “But Jesus said, whatever we ask the Father in His Name, He would give it to us.” (See: John 16:23 KJV) First of we cannot cherry-pick by just jumping to John 16:23. We must take the entire passage before it and specifically John !6:16 to John 16:33.

But even before that we must closely examine the words of David in Psalms 37:4 where we are told to “delight ourselves in the Lord and do good.” This is not about a “good works” salvation as some suggest, it is about obedience to God.

When we “delight” ourselves in the Lord, we are thinking and meditating upon His word. We are being led by His Holy Spirit. We are sharing with our brothers and sisters in Christ what the Lord is doing in our lives. We are praising the Lord for what He has done and is doing in our lives. We are lifting one another in prayer and encouraging one another in the Name of Jesus. In brief, we are sharing the joy of the Spirit of God with one another and others. But we are also meditating, i.e., reflecting on what God has done and is doing for us.

My pastor and I, and a couple of other brothers in Christ who attend church with us, text and talk to one another several times each week on the things of God we read and the things that we witness and experience.

I am not remotely talking as one who has no struggles nor as one who doesn’t drop the ball. I am speaking as one who is thrilled with my salvation. I speak as one who desires to serve our Lord and to be used by Him. I speak as one who reflects upon the goodness of the Lord and His presence.

My wife and I were talking recently and I spoke of how my cat jumps into my lap each morning as I am praying and doing my daily devotions. I said, that it reminds me of what it is like for us to not just jump into the arms of our Lord, but too desire to be in His presence.

God answers our prayers according to His will and good pleasure and He is promised to do so. But in the Lord’s prayer, Jesus instructed us to pray “…thy will be done.” (See: Matthew 6:10 KJV)

Yes, my friends, God answers our prayers, and He will give us the desires of our hearts when our desires align with His will for us. Some things we are better off without if they are going to be more important to us than He is; and in other things we ask amiss based upon our lusts. (See: James 4:3 KJV)

It is when we delight ourselves in Him that we can rejoice in His presence and be thankful whether His answer to our prayer(s) is: “Yes, no, wait, or I’ll give to you when you can handle it.”

READ:Psalm 37:3-8
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.