Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

 

Your relationship with God ought to bring you more joy,  satisfaction, and pleasure than any other relationship, activity, or material possession you have. Scripture exhorts you to delight  yourself in the Lord, finding your greatest pleasure in God and the things dear to His heart.  

 

To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence.This happens only when we know that person well and when we have been a faithful friend. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must get to know Him better and be faithful in our relationship with Him. Delighting yourself in the Lord means to find joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in God's presence, character, and actions. It involves cultivating a deep love and appreciation for Him.

 

How do you delight yourself in the Lord ?

 

 

1. Seeking God's presence: 

 

1 Chronicles 16:11 AMP

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].

 

Delighting in God involves seeking His presence and fellowship through prayer.

 

2. Study and meditation of God's word :

 

Psalms 1:2 AMP

[2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

 

 If you want to follow God more closely, you must take time to know what He says. This will involve the study and meditation of His word and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you. Meditating means spending time reading, thinking, marking, and reviewing what we have read. It means asking how we must change and grow so we will live as God wants.

 

3. Aligning desires with God's will:  

 

Luke 22:42 NKJV

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”  

 

As you delight in God, your desires will become aligned with His will and purposes.

 

4. Trusting God's sovereignty: 

 

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

 

Delighting in God requires trusting that God is sovereign and knows what's best for you.

 

Only as you  spend time with Him will you begin to take delight in the things  God loves. You begin to find pleasure in what God enjoys. As you spend intimate time with God and allow Him  to show you your situation from His perspective, you will begin to see things as God sees them. If you delight yourself in the Lord, your heart will begin to desire the same things God's heart desires. 

 

When you pray, you will find yourself asking for the very things God desires. Matters foremost on God's heart will be preeminent in yours. Your first request in prayer will not be for yourself, but  for God's name to be exalted and His kingdom to be extended.

 

Matthew 6:10 ESV

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

 

Have you been asking God to give you the desires of your heart without first seeking to understand what is on His heart? 

 

 God places this important requirement for those who pray: that we seek His priorities and make them our own. This great qualifier prevents us from asking out of selfishness. 

 

Matthew 6:33 ESV

[33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

God promises that as you delight in Him, He will respond as a rewarder.

 

Hebrew 11:6

[6] But without faith it  is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

 

Jeremiah 29:13 says

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 

 

This verse emphasizes the importance of:

 

1.Sincere seeking:

 

 Seeking God with a genuine and wholehearted attitude.

Psalms 27:8 TPT

[8] I heard your voice in my heart say, “Come, seek my face;” my inner being responded, “Yahweh, I’m seeking your face with all my heart.”

 

2. Total commitment: Involving your entire being (heart, mind, soul, and strength) in the search for God.

 

Matthew 22:37

[37] And Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 

 

3. Intimacy with God: Seeking God is not just about knowledge, but about developing a deep, personal relationship with Him.

 

 "Intimacy with God is vulnerability before God, a raw honesty with God, hunger for His presence, and a desire to be with Him. There is no greater pursuit in life". - Mark Varughese

 

Jeremiah 29:13 promises that:

 

1. God is findable: When we seek Him sincerely, we will find Him.

 

2. God rewards wholeheartedness: He responds to those who seek Him with their entire being.

 

In the context of Jeremiah 29, this verse is part of a letter to the Israelites in exile, encouraging them to seek God and promising that He will be found when they do so with a sincere and wholehearted attitude.This verse has been a source of comfort and encouragement for many, reminding them that God is accessible and desires a deep, personal relationship with each person.

 

 Benefits of delighting yourself in the Lord 

 

God's refreshing presence

Hosea 6:3 NLT

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

 

As we seek Him, we receive God's refreshing presence. Just as the winter and spring rains bring life-giving water to the earth, God's presence will bring spiritual refreshment and nourishment to our lives.

 

When you prioritize delighting in God, He will graciously grant you the desires of your heart. This doesn't mean that He will give you everything you want, but that He will fulfill the deep longings that align with His will and purposes.

 

 God's love and compassion: 

 

God wants us to delight ourselves in Him by drawing near to Him so He can show us His love and compassion.

Isaiah 30:18 puts it this way:

[18] So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

 

 Divine direction: 

 

As you delight yourself in the Lord by spending time with Him, you begin to hear His voice and receive instructions from Him.Isaiah 30.20-21 puts it this way: You will see your teacher with your own eyes. [21] Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. 

 

 Fruitfulness :

 

As you delight yourself in the Lord by spending time and seeking Him intimacy with God, your life displays fruitfulness 

John 15:5 NKJV

[5] “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

 

Psalms 1:2-3 NKJV

[2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. [3] He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

 

 Protection and deliverance: 

 

As you delight yourself in the Lord by seeking Him, God provides protection and deliverance from harm and evil.

 

Psalms 91: 9-11 NKJV

[9] Because you have made the Lord, who  is  my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, [10] No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; [11] For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

 

 Finding your strength and joy in God: 

 

Delighting in God not only strengthens you, but also brings joy and satisfaction, regardless of circumstances.

 

Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV

...the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

 Divine peace: 

 

As you delight yourself in the Lord by seeking Him, God brings comfort and peace in times of trouble or uncertainty.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Strength and courage: 

As you delight yourself in the Lord by seeking Him, God gives you strength and courage to face life's challenges.

 

Isaiah 40:29, 31 NIV

[29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

[31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

Conclusion 

 

As you delight yourself in the Lord ,you will see what is truly important to Him , and you will  long for these things as the Father does .

 

May delighting ourselves in the Lord become the all consuming passion of our lives. Cultivate a deeper delight in God, and by doing this He will not only shape but graciously grant you the desires of your heart!

 

Prayer 

 

Lord help me to cultivate a deeper delight in You. Help me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. 

Help me to earnestly and diligently seek You with all my heart.  May the desires of my heart be aligned with Your purpose and will for my life. Help me to see things according to Your perspective and to desire the same things that Your heart desires.

 

As I seek you, I receive Your refreshing and nourishing presence because You Oh Lord are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You.

 

Lord help me to cultivate a deeper delight in You. Help me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. 

Help me to earnestly and diligently seek You with all my heart.  May the desires of my heart be aligned with Your purpose and will for my life. Help me to see things according to Your perspective and to desire the same things that Your heart desires.

 

As I seek you, I receive Your refreshing and nourishing presence because You Oh Lord are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You.