God's Faithful Servant

God's delights

Delights, joys, pleasures, enjoyments -- we all have them. My culinary delights include shrimp, Cheerios, cucumbers with hot sauce, raw potatoes, tacos, and Pepsi. My recreational delights range from fishing to reading to volley ball to computing to playing with my family. I also delight in giving public presentations, encouraging people, resolving problems, organizing stuff, working on my vehicles, and putting Legos together. Point is, I have plenty of delights, and so do you. But what about God?

In a way, the idea that God should have special delights seems somewhat strange and unreal. Nevertheless, the first verse of today's text specifically tells us that God is capable of delight. In addition to His own Son (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17), what other delights does God have? Since we are His children and in His image, and since we are His ambassadors, it behooves us to know what pleases God. And it is also important for us to develop similar delights. So let's explore the Scriptures a bit to discover more of God's delights.

"A just weight is his delight" (Proverbs 11:1). God delights in accuracy, consistency, and justice. God's people should be truthful and precise in their speech and in their business dealings. We should also exhibit constancy and dependability that other people can count on. The strict standards we would apply to others we should also apply to ourselves. We ought to shun bias and favoritism in our relationships, opting for even-handedness and personal acceptance toward all.

"Such as are upright in their way are his delight" (Proverbs 11:20). God delights in those who choose to live by His standard of righteousness. In reading the accounts of God's dialogues with Satan in the book of Job, I sense God's delight in Job, an upright man. And God wants to delight in us that way also! So let's watch our way and guard our steps. Let's make sure the paths we choose each day are paths of uprightness. Let's embrace God's laws and precepts, loving and living them. Delighting in them, in fact!

"They that deal truly are his delight" (Proverbs 12:22). God delights in those who, by their actions, choices, words, attitudes, and thoughts, reveal His truth and truthfulness. This delight resembles the just weight of Proverbs 11:1. However, that delight has to do with the principles of accuracy, consistency, and justice. The delight in this verse has to do with the practitioners of those principles. So review your dealings with others, making sure the just weight is the principle that guides and undergirds those dealings. Then rest in the assurance that you are God's delight. Imagine that!

"The prayer of the upright is his delight" (Proverbs 15:8). God delights in the prayers of His delights. If that doesn't make sense to you, read Proverbs 11:20 again. God delights both in the upright individual and in the prayers of that individual. Hmmm. That sets me back. It certainly gives me a different perspective on my own praying. What about my praying is delightful to God, and what about my praying might be wearisome or irksome to Him? I want to be a greater source of blessing to God through my prayers.