by Kelly Dixon
Reading: Psalm 37:4
Valentine’s Day is this Sunday and what a joy it is to celebrate love. This is a special joy for us Christians because we have experienced the source of great love – Jesus Christ! As you may be preparing to go out with your loved one for a special time, I wonder if you have the same gene as my youngest daughter. She is a picky dresser, especially when it comes to what she wants to wear to church on Sundays. She loves to dress up and pick out the “perfect” outfit with all the accessories included. However, as her mom, I become frustrated at times because she will go through many clothes before she gets to the outfit she likes. It’s that typical dreaded female gene that fortunately (or unfortunately) I didn’t inherit. The one where as you are deciding what to wear you go all the way through your closet and then in the end you pick the outfit you started with – that’s the gene I’m talking about!
When it comes to our hearts desires, we don’t really know what we want until we have tried on many “outfits” that just don’t work. The world teaches us to try it all. If it works, great . . . If it doesn’t, then try the next best thing. Meanwhile, we are spending valuable time floating around in life, instead of seeking the Lord from the beginning.
Man’s natural way to succeed is by setting a goal and then striving towards that goal. In contrast, God wants us to seek Him first and delight ourselves in Him. By doing so, we allow God to set the goals in our lives through transforming our desires into His desires. Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He sets the goals and gives us the desires of our hearts because they will be the right desires.
I am excited about the devotional series we will be doing over the next couple of weeks! We will be focusing on answering the question “How do we delight in the Lord?” What excites me most about this series is the fact that there is always growth for all of us when it comes to delighting in the Lord. Answers to such a question come over the full life of our growth in Christ, because the depth of our walk with the Lord is infinite. On many occasions I have asked myself, “How have I danced with the Lord lately?” This question draws my focus on the joy I get from bringing glory to God. Many times after our Ladies for Jesus retreats I think about this question and how the Lord led me through the dance of speaking His truths to the world. It is an awesome feeling that brings me great joy! This is one of the ways that I delight in the Lord.
I invite you to join me in praying for this series. Together our prayers and our diligent study of the Lord and His Word will bring us to a great delight that not only brings joy to our hearts but brings glory to our Lord.
Until next week, take a look at that closet and think about what outfit would be best for dancing with the Lord. I guarantee that if you step out on the dance floor it will bring great delight in Him!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, prepare my heart as we begin to embark on studying how to delight in You. Help me to open my heart and allow You to speak directly to me. I want to draw closer to you. Show me when I am blocking this from happening. Amen.
