Delighting in the Lord
Those who choose His way and press into the Lord in relationship find new life and blessing. When they read and meditate on the God’s Word it causes them to grow in Him – to put down roots and become more grounded and stable.
Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
What a beautiful description of relating with the Lord – the more we seek Him and delight in Him and meditate on His words, the more our roots go down, and the more we become grounded in Him.
These words of Psalm 1 are similar to something written by Jeremiah;
Jer 17:7-8 (NLT)
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
In addition to becoming more solid and founded in Christ, there is an additional blessing as we delight in Him – we become free from stress and worry. Even when the circumstances become tough, the promise is that we will not wither or dry up – because our nourishment, our life becomes dependent on Jesus and not what is going on all around us.
Many of us struggle and worry when things get tough, and have a hard time letting go of the stress. Yet, as we delight in Him and start to draw life from Him, the fears and the worries that bad circumstances bring melt away in the peace and confidence that comes from being in His presence – that come from feeding on His promises and His life.
We can then understand when Jesus said to not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, because as we draw life from Him it becomes less important to t try and muster up our own strength. For He becomes our rock and our foundation – we start to experience what Jesus said in Matt 7:24-26. That is where He told us that if we hear His words and do them, we will be like the man who built his house on the rock – for we will have a firm foundation in Him.
What a blessing – what a joy this is. Not only do we experience the wonder of His words and presence when we delight in Him and His word, but He becomes a strong foundation for our lives.
Let us continue to delight in the Lord and His words.
