The Bent of Delight
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Delight is a simple word with profound significance. It is a profound word because delight reflects our desire, disposition, and direction. Delight is verb (an action word). It is a noun, (something real). It is an adjective (describes something) when used as the word “delightful.” In our text, “delight” is the basis of a promise from the Lord and part of a larger context of virtues.
Trust (in the Lord), Do (good), Dwell (in the land), Feed (on His faithfulness), Delight (yourself in the Lord), Commit (Your way to the Lord), Trust (in Him)
We live and thrive on the promises of God!
Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:3, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
These promises are “exceedingly great and precious.” These promises bring us into the “divine nature” which is the character of God. Delighting ourselves in the Lord is the entry point to receiving the desires of our hearts. That is, getting the right things in life begins with developing a healthy desire, disposition, and direction.
The definition of “delight” from the Hebrew root: “To take pleasure in, desire, incline to; to bend.”
To “delight” is to incline or bend ourselves towards the objects of our desire and sources of our pleasure. Most of our pain or satisfaction comes from how we delight. Most importantly, the direction of our delight determines our success in achieving the desires of our hearts.
How we delight describes our “bent.” Some people live in frustration because their delights have bent them in unhealthy ways that do not honor the Lord. They do not delight in the Lord. They are not bent towards Him.
The Word of God provides guidance in how to delight in life. We take a lot for granted, but we only become better people and Christians by God’s promises, and through accepting the Lord’s challenge to grow and change. We become better when we follow God’s lead and develop better delights.
Jeremiah 9:23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
Jesus said it best: "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure (delight) to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:31-32)
David trained his heart to delight in the Lord and in God’s Word. We can do the same through the grace of God.
Psalm 119:16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
Psalm 119:24 Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
Psalm 119:47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.
Psalm 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law.
Psalm 119:77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.
Psalm 119:143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.
Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.
The Apostle Paul said the same thing: "For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." (Romans 7:22)
___________________________
Listen to MP3 of Message
Subscribe to Firm Foundation Podcast
