Throughout the Scriptures we see how God takes delight in His people. For we read: “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:11). And (Psalm 149:4) says: “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” My question to you is do you take the same delight in the Lord and His amazing word?
As Christians we are blessed that not only does God delight in us and lavish us with His love and mercy, but He has given us the holy Scriptures that we can constantly read, study, and meditate on. Oh, if we could only be like the psalmist who penned (Psalm 119). In this wonderful psalm, nine times we read how the psalmist takes delight in the word of God:
(Psalm 119:16) – “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
(Psalm 119:24) – “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”
(Psalm 119:35) – “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.”
(Psalm 119:47) – “for I delight in your commands because I love them.”
(Psalm 119:70) – “Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.”
(Psalm 119:77) – “Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.”
(Psalm 119:92) – “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”
(Psalm 119:143) – “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.”
(Psalm 119:174) – “I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight.”
And to cap this theme off the psalmist is so full of joy over the Scriptures that he proclaims: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” (Psalm 119:162).
I personally can think of nothing that brings more joy to my heart than meditating on the Scriptures. What an incredible blessing to read about the Creator of the universe, to learn how to bring Him glory, and to get to know Him more intimately! As we meditate and delight in the word of God an absolutely awesome thing occurs. He begins to change our heart and give us new desires that are far better than our old desires. (Psalm 37:4) says it so well: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” As we delight in the Lord His desires become our desires and our desires become His! And when this happens sheer joy takes over because having God’s desires are always the best.
And meditating on the word of God is guaranteed to bring you rich blessings because as you fall in love with the Scriptures you will also want to do His will. In closing I ask you to spend some time meditating on the Scripture below and remember that the Christian walk is a wonderful eternal journey with Jesus:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3).
A verse that should never escape our attention is the Lord’s emphatic statement in Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Fulfilled is not synonymous with obliterated. Fulfilled results in obedience by other means. “Do we then overthrow the law by our faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” Rom. 3:31
That is why Paul could walk in the footsteps of the Psalmist who delighted in God’s law when he said,
“For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.” Rom. 7:22
As a New Testament Christian, shouldn’t his delight be in the Gospel alone? Paul did not see God’s law in opposition to the Gospel but at the center of the Gospel message. Why did Christ have to die? Because of our sin. What is sin? The violation of the law of God. We also learn through this Gospel message that we must pursue sanctification, holy living. Where do we learn what it means to be holy? “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Rom. 7:12 Our goal is that “the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.” Rom. 8:4
Law and the Gospel, twin pillars of our salvation. “I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight.” Signed, David
I AGREE!!!
Elaine