DELIGHTING IN THE LORD

DELIGHTING IN THE LORD

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you shall dwell in the land, and
surely you will be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall
give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:3-4

"God's Word makes it very clear to us that He Himself, by His Spirit,
resides in our bodies. They are called His temple, His habitation, His
residence here on earth (see 1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

In other words, both God and I are joint occupants of my body. We share
the same premises. We cohabitate in the one residence. He is, therefore,
my CONSTANT COMPANPION. An acute awareness of this [should] change my
entire attitude toward the Lord.

There will begin to dawn upon my spirit and soul the deep desire to
delight in HIS companionship. If we live together, love each other,
respect each other, then surely we are bound to enjoy each other. Too
often there is a tendency to try and make this simple relationship
between God and man to mystical; too mysterious; almost magical. It need
not be.

So how does one delight in God? Here are just a few simple suggestions.
Use the same five physical senses of your body that the world exploits
to intrude into your life, to make yourself aware, instead, of God.

1. Use your EYES to read His Word - to study it. Use them to revel
in the sublime beauties of His creation around you.
2. Use your HEARING to listen to the sounds of wind, waves,
streams, bird song, the laughter of children, great music.
3. Use your sense of SMELL to inhale the fragrances of flowers,
fresh earth after the rain, ozone off the sea, hay curing in the sun,
orchards in blossom. Thank Him for every perfume.
4. Use your TASTE BUDS to relish clear, cool water, delicious food,
the delicacy of fresh fruits and vegetables. All come from Him.
5. Use your sense of TOUCH to feel the smoothness of a rose, the
roughness of a tree bark, the warmth of sand between your toes, the
luxuriance of grass and pine needles beneath your feet, the hand of your
wife, husband, child, or sweetheart.

Every good and perfect gift comes to us in generous measure from our
God. On every side He surrounds us with an overwhelming outpouring of
His loving provision for our bodily welfare. Submerge yourself in His
generosity. Let an upwelling stream of gratitude and delight pour from
you in every ardent appreciation for His presence that surrounds you on
every side.

It is in Him that you live and move and have your being. And it is in
you that He lives and moves and has his very being. Become acutely,
intensely aware of His interrelationship. Revel in Him. Rejoice in Him.
Rest in Him. It is He who will impart to you His own exquisite desires.
It is He who will impress upon you His own divine designs. It is He who
will consummate all of these as you share life with Him, walking
together in sincere, calm, quiet harmony. Walking with God can be
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!" from the pen of devotional author and
lecturer, the late Phillip Keller (A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-Third
Psalm) in his book, WALKING WITH GOD.

Great quote: Just as in prayer it is not we who momentarily catch His
attention, but He ours, so when we fail to hear His voice, it is not
because He is not speaking so much as that we are not listening. We must
recognize that all things are in God and that God is in all things, and
we must learn to be very attentive, in order to bear God speaking in His
ordinary tone without any special accent. A man must not stop listening
any more than praying when he rises from his knees. No one questions the
need of times of formal address to God, but few admit in any practical
way the need of quiet waiting upon God, gazing into His face, feeling
for His hand, listening for His voice. "I will hearken what the Lord God
will say concerning me." God has special confidences for each soul.
Indeed, it would seem as though the deepest truths came only in moments
of profound devotional silence and contemplation. Charles H. Brent