Good morning people who walk in the delight of a God who is for you.
Psalms 18:19-20 NIV He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
I absolutely love the opening statement of these verses: He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me!
Oh, what a beautiful and powerful thing to know that God delights in us! What an equally delightful truth to know that God wants us to live in a spacious place.
Then David connects what he has just said with the following words: The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.
We could easily get confused here, especially if scriptures concerning the righteousness of God come to mind, as well as the awareness of David’s evident sins that were unrighteous.
So, what does God want to say to us today?
Two things come to my mind as I am drawn towards these verses.
Firstly, I want to point us to a truth that God can and does want to delight in us. Tolerating us is not God’s desire. He is a God of immense passion, and His desire is towards you and for you. This is an astounding truth!
Secondly, while we are saved by the righteousness of God, how we choose to live does affect whether we feel and receive the delight of God that He desires us to walk in and live from. This is not contrary to what I have said, it is simply part of the kingdom reality that is not of this world. God’s ways are different.
Oh, and one more thing I feel to say, and that is, like with David, even if you have missed the mark significantly in your life, you can still turn to God, cry out to Him, and through His tender mercy, forgiveness and grace, you can be restored to the delight of God on your life. Now, that’s good news!