Living in God’s Delight

Scripture:

“Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 30:9-10 (NIV)

Perspective:

Sometimes we have those moments when we are overwhelmed with awe and delight. Maybe you feel that way when you are walking the beach, and the waves are crashing in on the shore. Maybe you feel that way when you watch the sun set behind snow capped mountains. We find delight in moments that turn our eyes toward God.

In Deuteronomy 30, Moses was passing along a message to the Israelites. He made the connection between God delighting in the Israelites when they delighted in God. There are a variety of ways that we can delight in the Lord. We can obey His commandments, read the Bible, and fully commit our hearts to Him. Yet, there are “out-of-the box” ways to delight in God. Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” Eric’s passion for running far exceeded the norm, because he had a greater purpose in running. The question is: when do you feel God’s pleasure or delight? If you could turn that quote into a fill in the blank, what would it say? “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me _____. And when I _____ I feel His pleasure.” It may be helping rebellious high school students get on the right path. Maybe you feel God’s pleasure when you are writing, drawing, giving, speaking, running, teaching, loving people….The list could be endless. As you ponder when you feel God’s pleasure, do it. Maybe that skill or activity has been lying obsolete for years. As the new year approaches, you could make all sorts of resolutions. But what if you resolve to find your sweet spot of living in God’s delight. Dig deep and find the courage to step out, because there is nothing like heaven smiling down on you.