Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. Psalm 18:19
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. Respect you? Of course we do. Revere you? Yes, for you are GOD. Delight in you? Help us, and free us to do so.
Indeed, we don’t want to settle for a status quo, boring, 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” 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. We delight in you only because you first greatly delight in us.
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, Father, and sweeter than ever.
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 are the entire banquet and eternal celebration. Your love doesn’t just give us life, it’s better than life itself. So very Amen we pray with awe and longing, in Jesus’ beautiful and sufficient name.
