One of my favorite parts of the day is taking our dog Jedi for a walk in the morning. It’s my time to walk in the stillness of the morning before the world comes to life. It’s a chance for me to take delight in the beauty of God’s creation, and to breathe in his new morning mercies. My friends and family know that I love nature, and I’m always sharing some cool west African creature or plant on social media. It’s not for lack of more important ministry news that I share these things, but to remind myself and others of how awesome our God is. For example, just last week, my kids noticed how our local African ladybugs look quite different from Virginia ladybugs, and we found out there are over 5,000 different species of ladybugs! Isn’t God amazing! The beauty of God’s creation is all around us, but we often forget to “stop and smell the roses”.

Did you know that delight is a synonym for joy?

You’ve probably heard this verse a thousand times:
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
I know I’ve heard it said more times than I can count, and I often wonder if it’s being applied correctly. Nevertheless, I have come to see that to “delight yourself in the Lord” is so life giving for your soul. Taking delight in the works and words of the Lord is spiritual nourishment for our weary (and sometimes jaded) souls. It brings joy and gives us pause to refocus on the One who not only holds our hand day by day but holds EVERYTHING together.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these… ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
(Matthew 6:25-29 & 33, ESV)

I think Psalm 37:4 and Matthew 6:33 are really saying the same thing: If you focus on the Lord and seek His will, He will take care of all the little details, worries, and hopes of your life. I know I need to remind myself of that truth when the numerous demands of daily life threaten to choke out my joy.

I challenge you this week to delight in the Lord. Go outside and explore his beautiful creation, or dive deep into His word, or sing His praises at the top of your lungs. He is worthy of our adoration, and we are in desperate need of His presence day by day.

-Rachel