August 10, 2015

True Delight

Psalm 37:1-20

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

—  Psalm 37:4

The smell of flowers, the sound of a soft rain, the taste of a freshly baked cookie—all de­lightful! But knowing God, David says, is the most delightful experience of all.

How do we get to know God? It begins with God, actually, for God is the one who has created us, provided for us, and made clear to us that he is our Creator and Savior. And God calls us to trust in him and live by his ways, to commit ourselves wholly to him, entrusting our lives, families, jobs, possessions—everything—to his control and guidance. We grow to recognize that God can care for us better than we can care for ourselves. Along the way we also learn to be patient and willing to wait for God to work out what is best for us.

To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. That happens only when we know the person well. To delight in the Lord means not simply that we know God, but that we know him well.

To make sure we can know God as deeply and intimately as God wants us to know him, the Lord came to us in Jesus Christ and lived with us so that we could meet him in person. He showed his love in countless ways, taught and challenged us to live for God’s kingdom, prayed for us, gave up his own life as the payment for our sin, and rose to life again in victory over sin and death—all for our sake! To know God is to know Jesus and take delight in him!

Dear Lord, our greatest delight is found in you. May we delight you in all we do and say. Amen.

About the author — Thea Leunk

Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.

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