Delighting In God

DELIGHTING IN GOD

“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” - Psalm 37:4

When I was growing up, certain things brought me delight. I enjoyed special days like Christmas Day, our annual 4^th of July family reunion and the first day of summer vacation. I looked forward to such events with great expectation.

As an adult, I tend to find delight in the times I spend with family, friends and church. Relationships bring me great enjoyment. Yes, I still look forward to special days and events, but it's the people that bring delight to me.

In Psalm 37, we are told to delight ourselves in the Lord. Based on the facial expression I see among professing Christians, I'd predict that most church members struggle in this area. While they believe in God, they don't really cherish Him. They don't enjoy His presence. They don't seek His face. They don't find much delight in Him. That is tragic.

One of the reasons that Christians struggle to delight themselves in God is because there are so many things that distract them. The enemy has strategically placed many items along the way to lure our attention away from the Lord.

Have you ever driven the freeway at night? For many miles you have only the freeway lights and other cars providing you light. However, when you approach a large city, the entire landscape is illuminated with many buildings, signs and exits. For miles, you've traveled in the darkness of night, but now the bright lights of the city have your attention. You can't help but look at some of the sites. When you see signs advertising a restaurant, you suddenly have an appetite. It takes effort to keep your eyes on the road.

This happens in life. Our eyes need to be focused on Jesus, but there are many bright lights, flashy signs and impressive scenes to capture our attention. We have social media, television, streaming music and the responsibilities of life to keep us occupied. Time that should be dedicated to the Lord and His work is quickly drained by entertainment, social events and hobbies. We find ourselves saying, “no,” to the things we should be doing, while saying, “yes,” to the things we should avoid.

How can we delight ourselves in the Lord?

First of all, we must value Him for who He is. We tend to delight in the things we value most. Sadly, many believers have undervalued the Lord. They would refuse to admit it, but their actions say otherwise. We value money, time and family relationships. I am not critical of this, since each one does have certain value. However, when you realize that these things are gifts from God, it should heighten our value of the Lord. He created money, time and relationships. He gave them to us, simply out of His goodness and love. Furthermore, His gifts are reflections of His grace. Money, time and relationships have limitations. Our Lord is inexhaustible. He is eternal. We need to value Him for who He is. When we value Him as we should, our hearts will gravitate towards Him. We will find our delight in Him.

Secondly, we must give of our time to Him. We need to set aside time to meditate on Him. We should concentrate on the cross and His resurrection. We should consider all the blessings that we have because He has saved us. We need to express our affection through worship and praise. We should regularly give Him thanks for the blessings we receive. We should learn more of Him as we read the Scriptures and hear sound Biblical teaching. We should share in our devotion with other believers at a local church.

As we spend time with the Lord, our delight in Him increases. Psalm 16:11 says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Notice that we experience joy when we are in His presence. Obviously, the more time we spend with Him, the more this joy abounds. Let us be like Mary, who sat at His feet and heard His word. Our Lord said of her, “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” (Luke 10:42).

The psalmist wrote, “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Most people jump to the end of this verse and then try to manipulate God into giving them what they want. However, the promise of the last part of the verse is contingent upon us keeping the first part of the verse. He gives us the desires of our heart WHEN we delight ourselves in Him. You see, when you delight in the Lord, the desires of your heart begin to change. Rather than desiring worldly possessions, fame or selfish goals, your heart yearns for more and more of Him.

It was said of David that he was a man after God's own heart. Where are the people with a heart for God today? Where are the individuals who refuse to accept anything less than the Lord Himself?

Why can't that person be you?

Loving God

LOVING GOD

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” - Matthew 22:37-38

After His resurrection, Jesus asked Simon Peter three identical questions, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” What if the Lord asked you the same question. How would you respond?

I think most believers would like to give a positive answer to the Lord's question. No doubt about it, we love the Lord. But do we really?

It is one thing to know the Lord, it is another thing to love Him. While it is good to cultivate a greater knowledge of the Lord, it is even better to have a deepening love for Him.

For many believers, their love for Jesus began with great intensity, but slowly the love has declined. The church at Ephesus had this problem. The Lord said to them, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Notice that the Ephesian church didn't lose their first love. They left it.

What about you? Perhaps you can talk about the love you once had for Jesus, but what about right now? Do you love Jesus with all your heart?

Jesus taught us, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Notice that this is more than a suggestion, it is a command.

Let's be honest about it. Most American Christians struggle with the idea of obeying commands. We don't like being told what to do. We tolerate this on the job, but resist it elsewhere. Even at church, we enjoy hearing about God's love, but we tend to get uncomfortable when challenged to repent of sin, surrender to the Lordship of Christ and obey His commands. Our lack of obedience to God demonstrates our lack of faith and devotion. It is a serious matter. Somehow, we've turned the commands of God into options.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment of all is to love God. Thus, if we fail to keep this commandment, it is a serious matter. If we fail to love God, it is because we love something or someone else more. We are guilty of idolatry and spiritual adultery when we exalt something or someone above God Himself. Only God is worthy of our ultimate love and devotion.

When Jesus commanded us to love God, He said we should love God,”... with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” We should love Him from the heart. Loving God is more than an intellectual exercise. It is an emotional experience. Love should come from the very core of our being. It is more than “going through the motions.” It is the engagement of our heart.

Secondly, we are to love with all of our soul. It is a spiritual experience. Only a born-again believer can love God properly. A lost person is spiritually dead and unable to love God fully. A follower of Jesus can love God because he has had a life-changing experience of grace. He has been given a new heart … a heart that loves God.

Third, we are to love with all our mind. It is a mental experience. Loving God is not an “out-of-body” experience. As our minds are renewed by the power of the Word, we learn more about our Lord, causing us to love Him more and more. Worship is more than an emotional event. Genuine worship includes the involvement of our minds as we meditate on God. Our love for Him grows day by day.

If you feel that your love for Jesus has weakened, let me suggest that you block off all distractions and read Isaiah 53. Slowly meditate on the chapter. Think about the cross and its implications for your life. Mentally picture the Lord dying on the cross for your sins. Think seriously about the love that motivated Him to sacrifice everything for your sake. Consider the fact that you were the reason He willingly endured such agony. Consider how He rescued you from sin. Think about how He saved you and changed your life. You owe Him everything. Such a long session of meditation will cause love to grow in your heart for Him.

Let your love grow even deeper by expressing your love to Him. When it comes to loving God, speak it. Verbally tell the Lord that you love Him. Secondly, show it. Obey His commands. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Finally, share it. Tell others that you love the Lord. Share with them why you have genuine affection for the Lord Jesus. These three things will cause your love to reach new levels of intensity.

God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Through Him, we have eternal salvation.

Do you love Him?

Fear Factor

 FEAR FACTOR

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” - Proverbs 9:10

I am not a huge fan of “reality” shows. Part of the reason for my opinion is that such shows don't really reflect reality. They would be better categorized as “unscripted dramas.” In an effort to provide inexpensive programming, TV executives schedule these shows. The cost of producing a TV series is getting too expensive and viewership has shrunk. “Reality” shows and game shows may be produced for a fraction of the cost and still produce a viewing audience.

In the early 2000's a “reality” TV show aired that was entitled, “Fear Factor.” I truly disliked this show. The whole premise of the show was to put ordinary people in terrifying situations. Who wants to see people eat bugs or lie down in a container with snakes? Some must have liked it. The show aired for about five seasons.

While these unnerving situations make for a TV show, we don't like to face fear in real life. Whether it is the prospect of making a public speech or facing our own mortality, fear is something we'd rather avoid. Fear is like a red light on the dash of your car, warning you that a potentially harmful situation is near. Like other emotions, fear can be based more on fantasy than reality. Much of the things we fear never come into fruition.

Yet there are things we should fear. These fears are healthy fears that should not be dismissed. For example, it is healthy to fear a venomous snake. This fear prompts us to treat a poisonous reptile with respect. We shouldn't take a copperhead or rattlesnake in our hands and treat it like a pet. Fear keeps us from such a foolish act. Furthermore, fear keeps us from driving recklessly on a snow covered road. It is a healthy fear that keeps us from touching a live power line. No, we're not “scared” of a venomous snake, a snow covered road or electricity, but we have a healthy fear that keeps us from danger.

Proverbs 9:10 tell us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Sadly, these days we don't hear many sermons about fearing God. Pastors would rather preach about positive subjects while neglecting negative topics. Yet is important for us to fear God.

When I was growing up, my father was someone I looked up to. He was my hero. I thought he was invincible. He was smart. He had a sense of humor. He was skillful. He was talented. I loved my father. Yet I also feared my father.

Such a confession may rattle some who read this, but it is true. I loved and respected my father, but I also feared him because he practiced discipline. Why did my parents enforce strong discipline? They didn't want me to grow up to be a disrespectful, dishonest and despicable person. They didn't want their son to bring shame to the family because of a criminal act. They didn't want their son to be known as a crook or habitual liar. Discipline is a means of correction, but it is also means of teaching. I was taught that there were things to avoid … and other things I needed to do. Yes, I feared discipline. But I also feared disappointing my father. This fear kept my life from getting out of control.

I feared my earthly father. But I also fear my heavenly Father. Why should we fear God? First of all, because He is God. The fact that He is God should render a degree of fear within us. Far too many people treat Him like a gentle grandfather or a butler. He is the sovereign God of the universe.

Secondly, we should fear God because of His power. He has awesome power. He is the One who brought judgment on Sodom. We do not want to live in open hostility against One who can destroy us forever. Who can stand before the One who has the power to destroy everything? Some teach that Christians should not fear God in this manner. Yet in Matthew 10:28, Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Third, we should fear God because of His affection for us. We should fear doing anything that hurts that One who loves us the most.

Fearing God is just the beginning of wisdom. We are wise to fear Him, knowing that we must stand before Him very soon. We must give an account of our lives. This same fear prompts us to warn others of impending judgment. In Psalm 34:11-14, the Bible says, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” Fearing God keeps us from evil. Fearing God also prompts us to do right.

We need a revival of godly fear in America. In an age where education is emphasized to the neglect of wisdom, we need wise men and women. This begins with us fearing God once more. It must begin with you and me.

Be wise. Fear God.