Delight in the Lord, even in times of trouble? My tooth aches and I am facing a major bill if I want the dentist to repair it. I need new transmissions for both vehicles. My dryer and water heater seem like they are about to break down. I have major bills due and need groceries. I need new socks because all the ones in my dresser drawers have holes in them.
Troubles seem to mount, and then I look at Holly Mueller’s Spiritual Journeys topic for the day: Delight? Delight and praise Him. Really? Even if I don’t feel like it. Come on.
How do I show my delight in the Lord? Why is it important to delight in Him?
Holly Mueller’s post today points to an important scripture:
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
If you read further in Psalm 37 you will find this scripture too:
Psalm 37: 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in His way.
What a beautiful promise. I want the desires of my heart; so, I have to delight in all things about Him. When I delight in Him, something miraculous happens too. My desires change. I want what He desires for me. I fall in love with Him and His plans for my life.
Job points out that an evil man will not seek to delight in the Lord(Job 29). He will only call on Him in times of trouble, and then God will not hear him. The good man will delight in Him no matter the circumstances he faces each day.
Okay, so I decide to worship and delight in the Lord despite my circumstances. I sit here with a hole in mouth and my heel exposed to the air, smiling. God is good. These troubles are just momentary blips. God will provide, and He will see me through. I may end up toothless and car-less for a time, but God has this. He has my life. He has my future.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@MaryHill16″]I delight in Jesus’s promise today. What about you?[/tweetthis]
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Delight in the Lord, even in times of trouble …. Encouraging words. For me, its Delight and Trust in the Lord, even in times of trouble…..
Vasantha Vivek recently posted…What Goes Around Comes Back Around
What a great reminder – it’s easy to delight in the Lord in good times. It’s when we face challenges and afflictions that we face the true tests of faithfulness. A tooth ache sure can be a test! I’m so glad you’ve chosen DELIGHT instead of despair!
Delighting in the Lord is essential. No matter our trials God is there for us. Mary I too have a dental issue needing attending to so you are not alone. Getting the money together to hopefully deal with it next week.
Sheena-kay Graham recently posted…Under the Weather BUT still seeing Sunshine
Love your post. It’s so true, if we focus on delighting in Him, our daily troubles are not as overwhelming. God is good and we can trust Him to take care of us and to know what is best for us!
Judy thank you for stopping by and leaving your encouraging comment.
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times
Tough times do expose so much about us, don’t they (and I mean more than toes and heels). Keep delighting in the Lord, Mary. God will honor you as you worship and praise Him even when everything conspires against you. I’ll be praying for you.
Violet N. recently posted…Delight
Violet thanks for your prayers. Prayer works. 🙂
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times
Love how honest this post is and seeing the journey you took as you explored delight. Thanks for sharing. And this statement of faith you shared: “God will provide, and He will see me through.”
Ramona, I really believe that statement. It keeps me going as does the encourage that I receive from my blogging friends, like you. Thank you.
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times
Very encouraging — thank you!
Beth @ Pages and Margins recently posted…Picture Books about Korea
Beth, you welcome. 😉
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times
Thank you for your thoughts on delight! Thinking of you as you face these challenges… and hey, I bet you can find some delight in those holey sock… maybe stick a toe out and say hello to someone?! 🙂
Mary, you presented the realities of life that we all face. But the idea is to delight in the Lord so He can show us the way to a positive outlook and how to deal with the blips.
from Psalm 42 in the Message Translation: Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God–Soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. 🙂
I love that verse. Thanks for sharing it. 😉
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times
Exactly.
God adjusts your desires.
And truly, you can delight in Him even with the blips in life. We can choose not to, but those blips get to be bumps and mountainous before long! You are right. He has you.
Have a sweet day!
Donna Smith recently posted…SJT – Delight
Amen! I love your response to Ps. 37:4: “I have to delight in all things about Him. When I delight in Him, something miraculous happens too. My desires change. I want what He desires for me. I fall in love with Him and His plans for my life.”
Reminds me of a reflection I heard on that line in which the preacher said that we assume that the promise is that God will “give” as in “grant” us the desires we already have in our heart, but he interpreted it to mean that God will “give” as in “inspire us with the desires He wishes us to have in our heart.” Exactly what you said! Wise woman!
Beautifully honest reflection. With your faith, hope, and love, God surely gives you the desires of your heart. As sorry that I am to read about the situations that test your ability to Delight in God right now, your witness in doing just that is very powerful. Thank you for that!
Bobbie Taylor recently posted…Delight
Bobbie, you encouraged me so much today. Thank you. 😉
Mary Hill recently posted…Delight in the Lord in Hard Times