Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (ESV)
He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. Psalm 18:19 (NLT)
Heavenly Father, the command to delight ourselves in you causes us pause and intrigue. It contradicts the way we often think of you, and what we assume you really want from us.
That you want to be the primary source of our delight and joy is incredibly freeing, and convicting. That you actually delight is us… well, that ignites our longings, even as it exposes our unbelief. Help us believe it’s really true. By your Spirit, convince us that the more we delight in you, the more we’ll discover YOU to be the deepest desire of our hearts.
We don’t want to settle for a status quo, harmless, sleepy knowledge of you, Father. We don’t want to be balanced, conservative, or measured in our relationship with you. We want to sing (and mean) with the Psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)
So, take us “further up and further in”—indeed, carry us deeper into the heart-liberating, mind-transforming, whole-being-healing good news of your grace for us in Jesus. Help us actually believe you love us as much as you love Jesus, and that you delight in us to the same degree you delight in Jesus.
Father, free us from assuming we need more than you and what you choose to give us. Nothing and no one must change for us to rest, rejoice, and revel in you. Make this real to us, Lord, and sweet.
Thank you for all the good gifts you give us, Father, but especially the gift of yourself. You’re not only our “portion,” but our whole inheritance. You don’t just satisfy us, you’re the whole banquet. Your love doesn’t just give us life, it’s better than life. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ beautiful and sufficient name.
