“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
I have been pursuing a path of enjoying the Lord no matter what I’m doing, and I haven’t gotten far down that path. The Bible is full of commands and urgings to enjoy the Lord, delight in the Lord, and to be filled with joy. I want to do something more than enjoying a meal or a conversation; I want to enjoy the Lord in that meal and in that conversation.
I’ve tried to be more thankful. Thankfulness is such a great habit. I often feel joy in the Lord when I try to exhaustively thank him for what he has made, what he’s done, and his tender, lovingkindess to me. I have been taking more time to be thankful to God—not because I have to, but because it makes me enjoy my relationship with him.
At camp a couple weeks ago, one of my friends read a long passage of scripture out loud to us. It was one of the scriptures I read very often (John 4), but listening to him read it out loud increased my joy in the Lord. I have it in mind to call my mom and ask her to read me something from the Bible. I think I will enjoy the Lord in doing that.
When on a hike at Cacapon State Park, I enjoy stopping and listening the birds and leaves and my dog’s breathing. I enjoy the Lord when doing that too, because I remember that all those things come from him, and that they are praising the creator according to their design.
When things aren’t going well, how will I enjoy the Lord? Hebrews 12:2 says: “For the joy set before him he (Jesus) endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” I think in a hard time I can enjoy the Lord by looking past the moment, scorning the shame or the desperation because of the joy set before me. I am a little brother of Jesus. I am an heir of God and co-heir of Jesus. If you know him, so are you.
