Rooted in WorshipSample

He Delights in Me

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.”

Psalm 149:4–5 (NIV84)

Have you ever read or been told something, and your first reaction was, “That can’t be right.” That was my reaction when I read these verses for the very first time. I wondered if the word “delight” was a poor translation of the original language. I wondered if the phrase should have been translated as, “For the Lord saved his people.” Or “For the Lord defended his people.” Or “For the Lord intervened on behalf of his people.” Considering what I know about myself, I am humbled by the profound reality of this statement. The idea that the Lord delights in his people is difficult to grasp. To delight in someone means you like them. You enjoy spending time with them. You find pleasure in being with them.

After completing a few word studies of the original language, I discovered the translation was correct. The Hebrew word for “delight” is used several times throughout the Old Testament, most often to describe God’s pleasure with his children. Variations of the root word include the idea of “being pleased with and to accept favorably.”

He, the Holy and Righteous God of Creation, delights in you and me. The Maker of the Heavens and Earth delights in each of us. The Most High God chooses us and finds delight in our company. Indeed, there is no higher honor than the Lord delighting in us. The Psalmist believed so and encouraged us to do the same.

What must we do to grasp the reality of this divine statement? We must first silence the whispers of doubt and condemnation. We must silence the internal voice that would say, “This cannot be true. How can a holy, perfect, eternal, righteous God delight in me?” To silence these voices, we must not answer the question on behalf of the Lord. We must allow Him to answer the question. We must let His voice silence the voices of doubt and condemnation. A quick review of the Scriptures, beginning with the first book of the Bible and the following sixty-five books, echoes the voice of God. The constant message of the Scriptures is for those who seek Him and desire to know Him; He delights in their company. In fact, God has always delighted in His children. Since the beginning of creation, He has spared no expense to delight in His children.

Allow me to reword this truth in a more personal way. He delights in your company. He delights in the time you choose to spend with Him. He finds your presence to be pleasurable. His delight is so great He has crowned you with salvation to preserve the relationship.

Perhaps it is helpful to grasp this divine truth by comparing my delight with my children and grandchildren to God’s delight in me. I love spending time with my adult children and grandchildren. When I am with them, my heart is thrilled. They do not need to perform or earn my delight. They are not perfect, but their choice to spend time with me delights my heart. Their mere presence in my home is a delight. Listening to them as they share what they have been doing and where they have been is a delight to me. It is a delight to me when they ask me for my advice. Watching them playing a game or helping to cook a meal is a delight to me. So it is with God, you, and me. He delights in us.

The Psalmist says, “Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.” Knowing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords takes pleasure in our relationship is a lofty thought. And it is a reality to celebrate. Could we be more honored in a relationship by anyone else? No, never. So great is this honor that we should rejoice throughout the day and sing as we lay our heads upon our pillows at night. Words of praise should fill our mouths for the love our God has for us.

Your Heavenly Father delights in you!

Reflection:

Which of the following statements means the most to you today?

The Lord delights in my company.

My Heavenly Father delights in the time I choose to spend with Him.

The Maker of the Heavens and Earth finds my presence to be pleasurable.

Spend time talking with God about the feelings these bring up in you today.