Choosing Delight: he chooses it too

I shook with anger while I reprimanded my kids for their lack of obedience. Every button in me was pushed and it took every ounce of self control I had to hold it together. And as the evening wore on it was clear that every ounce was just not enough. It definitely was not my proudest moment. I wanted to stomp and scream and rage with all the glory of a two year old in full tantrum mode, writhing on the the floor over all the injustice in life. Of course my body didn't do that, but my heart did, and isn't that bad enough?

Life can be messy, and often I am the one who makes it the biggest mess of all.

But even at my ugliest I can still hear God's truth.

 

He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased

with me and delighted in me. (Psalm 18:19 AMP, emphasis added)

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, emphasis added)

 

That's right, he still delights in me. His love calms me and his delight provides a rescue. Oh, how I needed the rescue that night. In the midst of my ugly and unlovely he delights in me.

Sometimes we just need to hear the simple truth that Jesus loves us, no matter what. That evening I let his delight come through.

I have been learning how to delight in the Lord, no matter the circumstance. But it had never occurred to me that he delights in me, even in my ugliest of moments. At my worst he still chooses to delight in me.

What wonderful freedom we can walk in; that God chooses to love us even when we are not so lovable. We can often fail, and gloriously when we do. But he still delights in us, his messed up kids who fall and try again and learn to lean heavy on his grace.

He chooses to delight in us not because we have achieved perfection but because he loves us. His love motivates him to move, to change his position in response to his repentant people. In the original language the word delight has to do with bending down or lowering oneself. So in delighting in us God lowers his position; he moves in order to rescue me.

That is humbling.

I cannot allow my failures to discourage me, because I know that I can rest secure in God's rescuing, delighting love. The Psalm goes on to say that he is my shield, my refuge. He arms me with strength and gives me victory.

Victory over my failures.

Refuge when I need safety.

Strength when I am weak.

Why does he do this? Because not only does he love me, he delights in me. The good, the bad, and the ugly do not deter him from loving me. Or you.