“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” -Psalms 37:4
….the walk of a believer was never meant to be burdensome, tedious, impossible, boring or cultlike. It is not a call to follow leaders mindlessly, through a series of unnecessary tasks where one lives unhappily, restricting of pleasures, that God Himself created as the author of the universe. His desire for us was clear in the beginning “then God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply.” And the definition of blessed given by webster is “enjoy great happiness; to be blissful”. Yet our churches have become filled with members who often avoid the basic acts of devotion that were meant to ultimately serve ourselves, as they ensure in us a sense of completeness, community and comfort.
The disciples gave their lives out of complete devotion because they literally had the opportunity to be in the presence of the Incarnation and they delighted in Him, they hung on every single word that came out of His mouth. Then there was the young church, our history tells us that the gospel was spread across the continents as our brethren fled their homes, under persecution, yet they continued to share the beauty of gospel; the God-man who gave His life for humanity, resurrected, and now sits at the right hand of the Father pleading our case. They delighted in this truth, they delighted in this revelation made real to them by the Holy Spirit, they delighted in the home services held and community that it resulted in and felt a sense of belonging. Their lives were not devoid of trials and tribulation, but they felt joy and rejoiced in the Lord. Paul says to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21 KJV).
It Is interesting how we often look at love stories on television and swoon. How two individuals seem to forsake it all for stolen moments, and how the circumstances and odds make no difference if they could be together, they delight in each other. We should delight in the practices set before us, praying, reading of the Word, and worshipping in the assembly of brethren. These are our moments of meeting with God and getting to know Him. He desires to give us the desires of our heart and desires to give to us all we need according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19). The choice has always been our own, He’s proven His love and offers us the choice; we have always been given the choice. If you love Him, this should not be difficult. If you love Him, spending time with Him should be a priority. Do you love Him?