As for Me: Life Through the Lens of the PsalmsSample

Hungry and Hopeful

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

I was nineteen when I first left South Africa, and, believe it or not, the primary means of communicating with my parents was snail mail. Good ol’ handwritten letters. I toured constantly and was barely ever home, so all the letters sent to me went to my record label. Anytime we were in town from tour, I rushed over to see if there was anything from back home.

Thankfully, things have changed quite a bit in twenty years! I’m still on the opposite side of the world from most of my family, but we have WhatsApp® and FaceTime® to keep us connected on a regular basis.

For my fortieth birthday, Jeremy, our kids, and I took a thirty-five-hour trip back “home” to South Africa and showed up on my parents’ doorstep—a complete and utter surprise. To my absolute joy and according to plan, my parents were stunned and speechless. It was fantastic! I can’t tell you enough how I ate up every ounce of my time with them for those few weeks I was home. No amount of technology replaces spending time with someone in real life.

I imagine when the psalmist talked about delighting in God, it was something like what I experienced going back to South Africa. I was overwhelmed by joy reliving all my favorite things and taking Jeremy and my children along with me. I want to approach God that way, too. I want to take delight and pleasure in all He has for me. I want to approach Him with childhood wonder and innocence, with a heart of remembrance and gratitude for all He has done.

As we grow in our delight for the Lord and long to be in His presence, we concern ourselves with His ways and thoughts. When we meditate on God’s Word, we mentally chew on it and think about how it connects to our everyday lives and how it rules our actions. We take Jesus with us wherever we go—day and night.

What is a way you have found yourself taking great pleasure in the Lord lately? If nothing comes to mind, recall a memory you have of feeling this way.