Living in the world and seeing that which is going on is so telling. I see constantly what appears to be the quest to abolish the law. Why is that? Why is it that people would want to abolish those things that are in place to allow for direction, not to mention, safety and security. Well I maintain that is to take away accountability and responsibility.

When there is no knowing of what is right or wrong, then whatever is done is just considered done and there is nothing else that comes from it. There is no thing as morality. There is no thing as safety. There is no thing as security. There is no thing as direction. There is nothing, there is only action, and no reason for reaction or understanding. All is seen as okay and therefore anything goes.

I would ask simple questions as what is the way to manage electrical performance. What is the way to create a road. What does it matter if I take what you have. What does it matter if I just break all the windows in a building. What does it matter if I allow for any and everything goes.

I believe that most would say the previous paragraph does not matter as long as it does not impact the ME. Everyone is okay with something as long as it is not happening to them. And that is where the law comes in. I do not know what is or isn’t unless I am told and then it is up to me to decide how it impacts me and whether or not I should be concerned. Sin is not, unless it is pointed out as sin. Until I know that something is wrong, it is not wrong. When it happens to me, then it becomes wrong whether I am told it to be or not. When I do it to someone else it is not a sin on my end, because I do not know, even when the other is impacted negatively.

The law of God identifies sin for all. All are held to the same. All are following or breaking the law. And there is THE item that causes the most challenge with those that are not followers of Christ and His law. They are now aware, and everyone is aware of the rules and laws and are held to the same standard.

As a Christian, I may not like that some things that appear to be harmless are deemed sins in the eyes of God. I may not see the harm in some of those things in the grand scheme of things. I do, however, see that having those lines define what is right and wrong in the eyes, hearts, and physical of others than me. I have to think of others and make sure that they are not negatively impacted for things that I undertake.

“²²For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,” — Romans 7:22 (ESV)

As I said, I may not like the law and sin, but I am now aware and I take that seriously and as Paul notes above to delight in my inner being. I do not have to address the world’s sin, only my own and I have to know that I have every opportunity to overcome that sin, but I am human and will continue to sin as a result. I have to come to grips with it and know that sin is a product of knowing and knowing leads to understanding and understanding something leads to dealing with that something.

“²⁵Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” — Romans 7:25 (ESV)

Paul sums up the passage with a declaration of thanks that God has provided the law so that He can know sin, understand sin, and deal with it. He does not take away the idea that knowing will remove sin, only that know and delighting in the law will help him deal with it.

What do you have in your life that you may not know, understand, and deal with? Are you looking at things with the mindset that it does not really matter for it does not impact you? What if you were to delight in the law of God to know and understand the sin that is occurring and you are then able to deal with?

“¹⁶Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” — Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV)

I am continuing to study the word “delight” and this morning was brought to the above verse. I have to remember that just the verse does not tell all, I have to not take the verse out of context. And with that in mind, the words of Jeremiah here are those that I should be living out each day. The idea that God’s words are that which can and will give delight and joy is certainly encouraging.

I have to remember and want to remind of the context of the passage. Jeremiah is complaining that it appears God has left them (Judea) and he is just working to draw God back. But in the midst of his complaining, Jeremiah is also declaring his love and devotion to God. Jeremiah is reminding God that even as Judea had drifted away, he remained, and with that in mind, he is asking God to remember and show some favor and compassion.

I want to focus on the verse above and know that God’s words are those that will bring life. Not necessarily life in the sense of breathing and heart beating, but life to the soul. I have life that is sustaining beyond the physical and for that I will delight and have full joy. That joy and delight give me hope that all will be well despite other experiences.

I am to make God’s words the delight of my heart so that I am able to experience the joy that comes with them. I have life and that life is given to me from God and His words that take up living in my heart. I have them there and I should be using them to bring me the energy to continue on, even when what is seen is hopelessness and despair. I have God’s words in my heart and that is where the joy and delight live to get me through.

What is in your heart? Are you accepting God’s words in your heart? What if you did and allowed His words to provide the hope that all will be well?

I am encouraged by those that openly stand for God. Whether in the spotlight for all to see or in their small corner of the world, those that stand for God are to be revered and should be counted as great. There are a good number of those that do stand for God and they are fighting the battles that God places in front of them.

The thing I believe I enjoy seeing from others following Christ is their seemingly unwavering to do so and they seem to enjoy the difficulty they are facing as they know the work is for God and only by following Him can they achieve what He has for them.

“³³Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. ³⁴Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. ³⁵Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.” — Psalm 119:33-35 (ESV)

This morning I am thinking of Kirk Cameron. I do not know him personally and really only know that which I see. What I will say is that he is delighting in doing God’s work. He grew up in the spotlight acting in television and movies. And now, he is still involved, however he is living a higher purpose serving God. It is not easy and I have to believe that his continued success is provided by God as Kirk does his work. But it is more than that.

Kirk seems to be enjoying life and truly delighting in taking on everything that God has for him, regardless of where it seems to lead him. He appears to be allowing God to lead him and Kirk is following obediently.

I want to say again, I do not know Kirk Cameron and will not claim that he is the perfect example of what right looks like. What I will say is that what I see gives me courage to delight in the work that God has for me. If someone can do God’s work with delight, in front of the world and still be standing, I can surely do the same.

I have to remember that God has work for me to do. He does not promise that the work will be easy, or will render me wealthy, or will provide the kind of lifestyle I believe I deserve. I am called to do His work and delight in it for that is right.

When you are doing work, what is the status of your heart? Are you doing the work to reach an end goal? What if you were to delight in the work, and allow God to provide the riches He has for you?

Our giving is measured by our heart and not by our wallet. God wants that our hearts be right for He to delight in our giving.

“¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” — Psalm 51:15-17 (ESV)

In the above verses I see that I can have all of the good movement and be giving continuously to those that are in need and I can be building up God all the way and providing offerings to Him, yet if/when my heart is not right, there is not delight. God does not take delight in those things that are not from our heart. I have to get right with God and do things as a show of my relationship with Him, regardless of the magnitude of the giving. God wants only from our heart and to give all we can from there.

“¹Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, ²and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. ⁴For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” — Luke 21:1-4 (ESV)

In the above verses, I see that this woman gave all she had for the good of the LORD and not for everyone to see. She was not making a spectacle, she was simply giving from her heart and Jesus recognized it and called it out as being great. There was no correlation of a large amount to being greater, it was about what was in her heart that made the gift such and impact with Jesus.

God only wants from us that which will bring delight to Him. He works to build me up and provide for me and it is my duty to give back to Him and bring that delight to His face.

“¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; ¹⁹then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” — Psalm 51:18-19 (ESV)

What is your motivation for giving to God? Are you looking to bring delight to His face? What if you were to allow Him to build you up and then you give back to Him from the heart and look only to bring delight to Him through your obedience?

This morning I was led to a verse and passage I have studied many times. I say many times as I have a number of notes in the margin of my bible. I will say that none of the notes are directly related to “delight”, the word I am studying at this time. There are notes related to the depth on repentance, inward truth, and imprinting on your heart, but really nothing related to delighting.

“⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” — Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

As I read through this verse and the passage, I see that David is declaring to the LORD to delight in that which is a part of him. I also see the idea that I am to be delighting in the truth of the LORD and as noted in the margins of my bible, imprint that truth on my heart and really get to the depth of repentance. But I have to focus first on delighting in the truth.

God sees in me what is there that I may not know is there myself. I have to study and get to the depth of my relationship with Him. That depth will lead to my seeing and knowing the truth that is the LORD. I will know Him and in knowing Him I will be able to delight in who and what He is and means to me and the world.

Delight is defined in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary as such: Noun – a high degree of gratification or pleasure, something that gives great pleasure. Verb – to take great pleasure, to give keen enjoyment. Synonyms of delight – joy, pleasure, treat, exult, jubilate…

The above definitions and synonyms are just some although they really fit into that which I have studied this morning. I have to take “joy” in the LORD and His truth. I have to experience the “pleasure” that comes with His truth. I should be exulting His truth. I am in charge of giving “keen enjoyment” to others that are around me with His truth.

All of this related to delighting in truth is about action and that is what I really have to remember. The Lord’s truth is there for me to take action on and not just keep to myself. I should be allowing others to experience His truth through what the witness and experience with me. I am to be carrying the light of the LORD everywhere I go and delight in His truth and allow others to do the same.

What does your relationship look like with the LORD? Are you delighting in His truth? What if you did and allowed others to see and experience His truth in and from you?

I find that it is difficult to proceed forward when I am certainly aware that there will certainly be resistance and hardship even before I begin. I find myself delaying the start to avoid having to deal with something that I am all too aware will be in the way.

“⁸I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” — Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

This morning I was directed to the 40^th chapter of Psalm as I study the word “delight”. Here I found verse eight to remind me to delight in God’s will. And I was also reminded of the challenges that come with doing the will of God as I read through the chapter.

“¹²For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.” — Psalm 40:12 (ESV)

As a Christian, I am not without challenge. In fact, I am likely to encounter challenges that non-Christians may not have to work. I have to remember that the life of a Christian is in the journey and that God will not forsake me nor will He abandon me in my time of “need”. I may not feel or see Him, but He is there, guiding, protecting, and comforting me through it all.

“¹⁷As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” — Psalm 40:17 (ESV)

I am to delight in the will of God and not just in the comfort of Him. I have to continue forward as my word of 2022, “forward”, indicates. God’s will is for me and I have to remember, as noted in verse 17 above, that He is “my help and my deliverer”.

What is holding your back from doing the will of God? Are you hesitant at the challenges that lie ahead? What if you delighted in God’s will and the known that He is your deliverer?

“⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” — Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

This verse is so confusing, especially to those that only think of the desires in a monetary and physical way. What I mean by confusing is that one would think that God will give you any and everything you desire if you simply take joy in Him.

I have to remember that the two parts of the verse go and work together. “Delight” in the LORD and “desires of your heart”. I have to first delight in the LORD and then He will provide me with the desires of my heart. My desires will not be for me and my physical well being, and that is where I have to be conscious. My desires will not be for me and my being here in this world, but of the kind that are recognized by God for His glory.

The common mistake in our world today is that there is an expectation that everyone gets to win with all the glory and value seen as great. There is a belief that without the greatest of things in your driveway, closet, pictures, and the like, that somehow one has not reach potential and is somehow less than others. The reality is that it is not about what others see that is had, but that which is seen by God and know to be for His glory that are important.

I want those things that show my success. I have to remember though that in order to have the kind of success as noted by living for the LORD, I will have to turn all of me to Him and allow for His giving to me based on my relationship with Him. I have to take all joy and delight in the LORD and know that when doing so, I will given all that I could ever want, more time and glory with Him in heaven at my appointed time.

Your relationship with the LORD, what does it look like? Are you looking for Him to provide for your worldly desires? What if you turned to Him for the desires of your heart that are pointing to a stronger and robust relationship with Him?

I find myself struggling daily being able to simply delight in the LORD and all that He has for me. I find myself concerned with that which goes on around me and with others. I have difficulty understanding how others seem to focus all of their attention on themselves and even take a stance on something with one and then turning and a short time later are witnessed taking what appears to be a completely different stance only to “impress” the other person they are engaged in conversation.

“¹Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ²but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” — Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV)

I needed this passage this morning. I needed to be pointed to the law of the LORD and to avoid the law of the land. I needed to be reminded and understand that the law of the land is there to prop up those lacking a true purpose. I am reminded to pursue my kingdom purpose and not to get caught up in all that is going on in the land. I am to continue down the path of Christ and avoid the path of man.

I am not the most social of individuals and “working the room” is not in my nature. I have to remember that for some, that is their identity and just because it is not mine, I cannot believe that everyone should be like me. I should however expect that others seek the law of the LORD although I should also know that not everyone will. Those that I find, “working the room” may in some way be just those that are seeking acceptance as they are looking for their kingdom purpose and I should not place myself in the way of them and should simply step aside and seek to “delight in the law of the LORD” instead.

I have to remember that each is their own and I am to control what I can control and that is me and my walk with Christ. I cannot and should not be concerned with others and their walk only I should be the example of one walking with Christ in hopes that they will see and seek that which they see in me.

Where is it that you find yourself in your walking? Are you walking our there trying to impress the world on others? What if you were to delight in the law of the LORD and allowed others to see Him in you as opposed to trying to find yourself in others?

Today we are presented too many opportunities to think only of ourselves. I experience this in my work, our in the community, and all around me. Take social media for instance, everything is predicated on “what I did”, “what I believe to be important”. There is a misnomer in that what is posted may be about a service opportunity, but really it is about what I did, and not really about the opportunities much at all.

I have to remember to get over myself and work to serve others at whatever cost to me. I have to put the needs of others over my own. I have to get out there and serve faithfully. I have to faithfully serve the one that provides the most for me. I have to faithfully serve the LORD.

“²⁴Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” — 1 Samuel 12:24 (ESV)

The LORD has and will continue to provide. Just yesterday He provided safe travels for my youngest son as he came home for the Christmas break from college. He provided great fellowship with friends at my wife Lori’s Christmas gathering. He provides me the opportunity daily to study His word and grow and learn. I have been provided so much and it is my duty to “serve him faithfully”. God is the one that has done the most for me. He sent His son to die for my sins so that I would not have to. And that is reason alone for me to serve Him.

It is not about me. It is about those around me and those that may have difficulty helping themselves. I have to serve others and that all starts with me serving the LORD faithfully in all things. He provides for me and therefore I am bound to the service of Him to spread His love, care, comfort, and provision with others. Serve Him and for Him and then move on to the next.

What service are you providing out there? Are you posting for all to see you? What if you just served the LORD faithfully and left it at the job done and moved on to the next?

Often I see the obeying of the rules, or the espousing of the rules and the need to obey them. The thing is, it is only in when seen are these the case. More often I see the lack of obeying or the talking against the rules when there appears to be no one watching or no one is there to “notice”. I have heard and spoken the phrase: “True integrity is what you do when no one is watching”. I do not know who it was that said it, but it is true and you could substitute obedience in the place of integrity at will.

“¹And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” — Deuteronomy 28:1 (ESV)

This passage in Deuteronomy is more to the blessings that come with obedience, but I am more interested this morning in the faithful obedience. In my opening paragraph I mention what you do when no one is watching and the idea that true obedience is what you do when there is no one standing around with their thumb on you to ensure your compliance. Substituting “faithfully” for “true” makes a lot of sense to me. I have to be willing to do the right thing and execute them every time to ensure that I am fully obeying. My commitment to God is the same. I am to do is will “all the time” not just when someone is watching or someone can see.

I want to be clear and indicate that I am speaking of when we know just what to do and what not to do. There will be times and I have had them, when I was unaware of the rule(s) and therefore did not follow them. For those I am still accountable to the consequences of not following, however I did not knowingly disobey and therefore did not go against faithful obedience. Now, going forward, I know and must faithfully obey even if I disagree. I can and should work to get things changed, but I still must obey in the future.

It is important to know what actions/rules we are to take/obey. In knowing them, we are responsible for them, all the time. Whether I agree or not or someone is watching or not, I am still responsible to obey. I am to “faithfully obey the voice of the LORD”. When I know, I know and therefore am held to knowing. Whether in public or in private, I am responsible to obey. Even when nobody is there to see, God still is. And you can see in the verse above that when we are there and in obedience, faithfully to God, we are rewarded and set “high above all the nations of the earth”.

What actions/rules have you been given to take/obey? Are you taking/obeying them all the time regardless of who or if someone is watching? What might be different if you were to faithfully obey the LORD and clearly take/obey the actions/rules?