Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Take Delight in the Lord
Tom Philip
St. Peter's MTC, NJ
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the
desires of your heart.
Webster’s dictionary defines delight as a strong feeling of happiness. Do you remember growing up being a fan of a famous actor or sports figure? If you were ever able to meet that person, how would you have reacted? Would you try to get a picture with that person or possibly an autograph? Some fans become so obsessed that they learn everything about the object of their admiration and plaster their walls with his/her images.
As Christians, do we take delight in the Lord? Do we associate God and His ways with great happiness and joy? Do we try to learn as much as we can about Him? Are we obsessed with trying to please Him? Or do we consider our relationship with God as an obligation devoid of emotion? Are our prayers just a recital of the same words day in and day out? Do we only think of the Lord during times of trouble?
We need to mature in our relationship with our Father. Only those who have a real relationship can find true happiness in the Lord. It means knowing Him personally rather than just knowing about Him. It means seeking Him and yielding your life to Him.
The outcome of such a relationship is specified in the second part of the verse: He will give you the desires of your heart. Does that mean that if you love God, you will get whatever you want? The key to understanding this verse is that it is a conditional statement. God will provide the wishes of your heart if you truly find joy in Him. When we have a close relationship with God, His desires will be our desires. The problem is that we often think that our desires are God’s desire rather than wanting God’s desires to be our own.
Prosperity theology is running rampant in Christian circles today. It teaches that those who believe in Christ will be blessed financially and materialistically. This theology is not rooted in the teachings of the Bible, as we see the most blessed person, Jesus Christ, was not blessed in the earthly sense. He was born in a manager, son of a carpenter and died a criminal’s death. Christ is truly blessed as He is in glory, sitting at the right hand of the Father.
We must seek to have an intimate relationship with our God. A relationship that drives us to desire His glory and the establishment of His kingdom. When our heart is aligned with Christ, we will seek His will and all that He desires.
Webster’s dictionary defines delight as a strong feeling of happiness. Do you remember growing up being a fan of a famous actor or sports figure? If you were ever able to meet that person, how would you have reacted? Would you try to get a picture with that person or possibly an autograph? Some fans become so obsessed that they learn everything about the object of their admiration and plaster their walls with his/her images.
As Christians, do we take delight in the Lord? Do we associate God and His ways with great happiness and joy? Do we try to learn as much as we can about Him? Are we obsessed with trying to please Him? Or do we consider our relationship with God as an obligation devoid of emotion? Are our prayers just a recital of the same words day in and day out? Do we only think of the Lord during times of trouble?
We need to mature in our relationship with our Father. Only those who have a real relationship can find true happiness in the Lord. It means knowing Him personally rather than just knowing about Him. It means seeking Him and yielding your life to Him.
The outcome of such a relationship is specified in the second part of the verse: He will give you the desires of your heart. Does that mean that if you love God, you will get whatever you want? The key to understanding this verse is that it is a conditional statement. God will provide the wishes of your heart if you truly find joy in Him. When we have a close relationship with God, His desires will be our desires. The problem is that we often think that our desires are God’s desire rather than wanting God’s desires to be our own.
Prosperity theology is running rampant in Christian circles today. It teaches that those who believe in Christ will be blessed financially and materialistically. This theology is not rooted in the teachings of the Bible, as we see the most blessed person, Jesus Christ, was not blessed in the earthly sense. He was born in a manager, son of a carpenter and died a criminal’s death. Christ is truly blessed as He is in glory, sitting at the right hand of the Father.
We must seek to have an intimate relationship with our God. A relationship that drives us to desire His glory and the establishment of His kingdom. When our heart is aligned with Christ, we will seek His will and all that He desires.
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