The Object of My Delight

STORY: Do A Little Happy Dance

You know it’s a special date night at the restaurant when I order a plate of food and I can hear it sizzling on the way to my table. As the waiter delivers the food, my eyes pop out because first I eat with my eyes. Then the aroma wafts up toward my nostrils. Layers of seasoning sing out hallelujahs! The colors create food art, saying “eat me, eat me!” Once the ceremonial “hello” is complete, I dig in. Not like a shovel or scoop, but with dainty nibbles designed to make me slow down and enjoy each morsel. When it’s an especially amazing recipe, I start to wiggle in my chair and do a seated version of a happy dance. It delights Russ to see me so elated. I savor the meal with every sense. (Well maybe not touch—I don’t really like playing with my food!)

What makes you want to do a little happy dance? Answers from Facebook:

• Hearing from an old friend
• Getting a “yes” on a request when I was braced to hear “no”
• Saving money at the store
• Seeing a lower number on the scale
• A positive progress report at the doctor’s office
• Receiving the much-awaited adoption announcement
• Answered prayer

It’s one thing for us to get happy about something, but an entirely different thing to be delighted in the Lord. How do we show Him the same preferential treatment we show the inferior objects of our delight?

STUDY: Delight in the Lord

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalm 37:4 NLT)

• Do you wait to delight in the Lord until after He blesses you?
• What does delighting in the Lord look like in your life?

Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. (Psalm 112:1 NLT)

• If you were to write this verse out as a to-do list, what are the action steps?
• Why do you think people who fear the Lord and delight in obeying Him are joyful? Doesn’t the word obey make you feel the opposite of joyful?

Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! (Psalm 147:1 NLT)

• How is singing and saying praises to the Lord good?
• How is praising God delightful?
• What makes it fitting to praise God?

O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways. (Proverbs 23:26 NLT)

• What happens when you give your Heavenly Father your heart?
• Why do you think the proverb mentions the eyes when talking about taking delight? Are these physical eyes or spiritual eyes?
• When was the last time you took delight in following God’s ways?

Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. (Isaiah 58:13 NLT)

• Part of taking delight in the Lord is taking delight in His holy day. What are some ideas about Sabbath you can take from this verse?
• Why is it so important to honor the Sabbath? When we know the answer to this, we will take delight in His day.

Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 58:14 NLT)

• What are some things that make you delighted?
• How can you put the Lord at the top of your delight list?
• When you delight in the Lord, what are some of the results?

Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. (Luke 23:8 NLT)

• I know this is an unusual verse to mention when it comes to the word “delight” because the subject is Herod. But I love how it says he delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus. I can’t help but wonder if we have the same delight when we get opportunities to see Him. Do we protect our scheduled time with Him in prayer and the Word or do we get lazy about meeting with Him?
• Part of Herod’s delight in Jesus was because he hoped he would see Jesus perform a miracle. He had expectation and anticipation in his delight. What miracle would you like to see Jesus perform?

STEPS: Add Delight to Your Days

1. Embrace your heart’s desire. Evaluate it. Seek God for it. Be on the lookout for it to come to pass.
2. Fear the Lord. Find a new way to show Him special reverence.
3. Delight in obedience. The next time you obey God despite the battle of self, celebrate the step of faith.
4. Sing praises. Designate a time outside of church to sing praises to God. Find a Christian radio station and sing aloud in the car when you can’t be inhibited by what other people think.
5. Seek God’s steps and then follow them. Look for what God is blessing and follow the path that leads to His will rather than asking Him to merely bless your will.
6. Create Sabbath. Add more rest and reverence to your days.
7. Look to see Jesus in your everyday life. Don’t wait for Sunday to focus on Him.

Copyright © 2017 Kathy Carlton Willis. Used by permission.