“Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Psalm 119:35-37). This prayer of the Psalmist invites us to consider what it means to be filled with holy delight. There are two ways that the Christian delights in the things of God. The first that the Christian finds enjoyment in the various “First Article” gifts that God has given him such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, etc. The second way, as illustrated by the Psalmist, is by delighting in God’s Word and ways.
This first form of holy delight is in some sense experienced by both Christians and unbelievers. After all, unbelievers still find enjoyment in such gifts, yet they differ from Christians in that their enjoyment is found only in the gift itself and not also in the Giver. Christians recognize that you can’t have one without the other. Such “First Article” gifts are a blessing from God, and the posture of the Christian is one of delight not only in the gift but also the Giver. This delight expresses itself first and foremost in joyful thanksgiving to God but also in the firm and certain trust that God will continue to give these “First Article” gifts as part of His ongoing work of preserving Creation.
Meditating on God’s preservation of the created order is a wonderful way for the Christian to be filled with holy delight. This delight in God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things can’t help but produce wonder and curiosity in the world He made. We live in a world that focuses on the utility of the things around us. Many things are considered worthless or at best neutral if they are not used for a specific purpose. In a world like this, there is little room for delighting in God’s creation, unless that time has first been set aside for vacation. The Christian life of holy delight offers a far better way. Because the Christian knows that everything he has and everything around him comes from God, he is better equipped and encouraged to find enjoyment even in the simplest and most mundane things of the created order. He finds contentment and delight in a daily routine, in the family given to him, in the changing of the seasons, and more. This delight in “First Article” gifts is of course not meant to be the be all end all, but it leads us to an even greater delight. Delight in God’s holy things.
Delight in holy things, in God’s Word and ways, is what the Psalmist speaks of here and it is this delight that takes time and patience to cultivate. The most natural delight we have is in the created order, and this is good in moderation, but God has not called us to find our ultimate fulfillment in creation. He’s called us to find our ultimate fulfillment in Him. The phrase “you are what you eat” applies here. If you are only filled with the cares and concerns of this world, you will find that any delight you have will be fleeting. You will occupy your time and thoughts with the “worthless things” the Psalmist writes about, those things that are perishable. The “First Article” gifts you received will turn into idols and your desires will become superficial. On the other hand, if you abide in God’s Word, regularly go to the Lord’s House to receive the means of grace in Word and Sacrament, immerse yourself in prayer for both your own needs and the needs of your fellow Christians, you will find no greater delight. As our Lord promised in Isaiah “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 58:13-14). You who continually come to God’s House are not only having your sins forgiven, but your faith strengthened, and your desires reoriented not toward your own flesh, but toward God and His gifts. Rejoice in this. Learning to take delight in the world around you, in God’s means of grace, and in His instruction is a lifelong discipline. It’s one only undertaken in faith. Yet it will bring you more delight and enjoyment than anything this world has to offer. Day by day, join your voices to the prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 119 quoted above, be about our Lord’s business in your homes and in your congregation, and continue to confess your sins when you fall short. God is faithful, and He will complete your joy when He calls you to home to His presence to delight in Him forever.
Your Servant in Christ,
Vicar Dunsmore