God is so many things to the Christian.
As the Bible reveals, He is our Provider. (Genesis 22:14)
Our Defender. (Psalms 62:2).
Our Peace (Ephesians 2:14).
Our Healer. (1 Peter 2:24)
But for all that God is and has revealed Himself to be, it is important to remember that He is also our Father. (Isaiah 64:8) And we are His Children.
Therefore, we should learn not to seek God only when we are in need but to simply delight in the Lord as children do.
We are God’s Children
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
The Bible reveals that we are God’s children, not just His creations.
Therefore, understanding that you are a child of God should influence the way you approach your relationship with God.
Children find joy in the presence of their father. They don’t turn to their fathers only when they want something. If their relationship is a good one, children turn to their fathers for comfort when their sad. But they also invite them to share in their joyful and happy moments.
Children are content to spend time with their fathers, doing something they love or even nothing at all. Simply being together is enough.
It should be the same with your relationship with your Heavenly Father.
Instead of turning to God as a distant Creator, or a handy ATM, you should turn to Him as your Father.
Enjoy His presence. Delight yourself in Him, knowing that He also delights in you.
God Delights in You
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way
Psalms 37:23 (NKJV)
God delights in you.
He is not only interested in what you do for Him, whether you are ministering every Sunday, volunteering every Saturday or fellowshipping with other believers every Wednesday. God is interested in and desires you.
He desires to spend time with you, even more than you desire to spend time with Him.
He loves it when you simply sit with Him and find joy in His presence because He loves you and wants a relationship with you. That is why Jesus died for us, so that our relationship with God would be restored. (Romans 5:1)
Now that it has been restored, you must cultivate that relationship by spending time with and delighting in the Lord.
Delighting Yourself in the Lord
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
Psalms 16:11 (NKJV)
As this verse reveals, there is pleasure and joy to be found in the presence of God. This shows that for the Christians, spending time with God shouldn’t just be a boring chore, it should be a delight!
But how do you delight in God, especially when you’ve grown used to only approaching Him out of duty, or need or fear of condemnation?
Here are 3 ways you can start.
1. Talk to the Lord
Often, people consider prayer to be a list of requests or constant spiritual warfare. But whilst these are important aspects of prayer, that’s not all there is to praying.
Prayer is also simply talking to God.
You can tell Him about your day. Share ideas and wonderings you have about your life. Let Him know what’s on your heart, even what’s concerning you. Take delight in knowing that He hears you and will respond. (Psalms 6:9)
2. Sing to the Lord
Singing is a beautiful way to delight yourself in the Lord. (Especially if you have a love for music) But singing doesn’t only have to be done when you’re at church or if you’re a worship leader. You can sing to the Lord as you go about your day- out loud or in your heart. (Ephesians 5:19)
Sing Him a new song that tells of all He’s done for you personally; all He means to you.
3. Read His Word
Starting out, the Bible may not be your go to read. It’s very different from the typical novel. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying reading it.
When you pick up the Bible, ask God to illuminate the Scriptures for you and give you revelation. Ask Him to give you understanding and as you read, do so with your heart not just your head. Ask God to show you how the words apply to your life.
When you do, you will begin to notice amazing and interesting details in what you read that you hadn’t before. You will start understanding things you hadn’t before and the Bible will become a delight to read.
These are just a few ways you can start delighting yourself in the Lord. But they are definitely not the only ways.
Make it Personal
It’s important to note that delighting yourself in God is simply about making the pursuit of God personal. You must pursue God with your whole heart. (Psalm 9:1)
When you involve your whole heart and make it personal, you will find that you will delight in being with God whether it is in prayer, in praise or in worship.
But you cannot make yourself delight in God. However, you can pray and ask God to draw your heart to love and find joy in what is holy. You can ask Him to help you delight in Him.
When you do, God will hear and answer and He will reveal all the ways you can find pleasure and delight in His presence. Then soon, you will be pursuing Him, not out of duty to a cruel master but out of joy because He is your loving Father.
