When our children were young one of their favourite desserts was ANGEL DELIGHT, the truth is dad was pretty keen on it too, especially the butterscotch flavour. (for non-UK folk it was a powder you added to milk and whisked into a creamy-type consistency)

My mind went to this dessert recently because of a line in Psalm I was reading

Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:3–4 (NIV)

It was that line TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD that really hit me.

I used to take ANGEL DELIGHT regularly, but I am rarely taking “LORD DELIGHT”

Sometimes it feels like my relationship with God can be hard work, it’s about discipline, the discipline of prayer, and taking time to read Scripture. My interactions with God are often serious as I pray for people who are on my heart who are facing big issues, or I am facing up to my own faults and failings.

I can’t say I heard an audible voice, but I definitely heard the Lord speaking into my soul reading that Psalm and he asked

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DELIGHTED IN ME?

To delight in something, I think is to experience joy through it, it’s an emotional experience. Perhaps intense enjoyment might be a good definition?

I experience delight in lots of ways. I experience delight riding my motorbike through beautiful Swiss scenery and getting a corner just right. I am delighted when I get the chance to be with my children. I know this is shallow, but I am delighted when Scotland actually win a rugby match, I’ve even been known to run round hugging people I am so delighted.

But when was the last time I “took delight in the Lord?”

I am ashamed to confess I can’t remember. Deliberately delighting in the Lord has been a missing component of my spiritual life.

So, I am trying to think about how I deliberately take time to delight in the Lord, to enjoy His presence, to rejoice in His goodness, and to find intense gladness in who He is.

So what about you,
when did you last deliberately delight in the Lord?