Delighting In All The Things, part 1
My grandson Arlo is obsessed with monster trucks. Obsessed. We gave him a monster truck race track for Christmas and the look on his face when he opened it was pure delight. He loves monster trucks and probably owns over a hundred. He can tell you the name of every single one. He watches YouTube videos of kids playing with monster trucks (yes. it’s a thing.) He can spend hours doing whatever it is you do with monster trucks and he has the biggest smile on his face the whole time. He delights in monster trucks.
Children seem to express delight far more easily than us “mature” adults do. Somewhere along the line, we lose the ability to delight in life. Instead of expressing joy, we criticize and complain. We fail to see the good and focus on the negative. Just spend a few minutes on social media. You won’t find much delight.
Since God impressed the word “delight” as my word of the year for 2025, I’ve noticed it’s all over the Old and New Testaments. As I spent time studying what the Bible says about delight, it came down to 3 areas.
Delighting in God’s presence.
Delight in God’s people.
Delighting in God’s purpose.
Delight in God’s presence
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
So what You’re saying, Lord, is that if I find pleasure in you, you’ll give me all the things I want?
Well. Not exactly.
The concept of delight to the Hebrews was about living in a covenant relationship with Him. It was knowing who He is, loving Him deeply, and – out of that relationship – following HIS heart. In other words, when I find my pleasure in Him, He will put in me HIS desires. My desires will be exchanged for His. So, yes! If I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart.
Finding delight in God’s presence doesn’t always come easily. Taking time to be with Him can feel awkward and unnatural if we’re not used to it.
Spend time in the Word. The more we spend time with Him and know Him, the more He will reveal Himself to us. And the more we see who He is, the more we will find delight in Him because we won’t be able to help ourselves.
Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on it day and night.
Psalm 1:1a-2
Spend time in prayer. Conversations with God will increase our delight in Him even more. Our Heavenly Father isn’t distant from us. He wants to meet with us and hear our hearts. He wants to hear our worries and fears. He wants us to share our hurt and our pain with Him. And He wants to respond to us. He has promised to meet us in the secret place. (Matthew 6:6)
Spend time in worship. Worship, the Word, and prayer overlap. Worship is our response to who God is. I am so grateful for the songwriters who have given us lyrics to express our thanksgiving and gratitude to the Father. Songs of praise and worship to the King transform us! Whether we’re worshiping along with a Spotify playlist, a YouTube worship set, or singing a song straight from our own hearts, worship builds our delight in Him while at the same time gives us an outlet to express it.
Stay alert
Distractions & Busyness. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to let daily responsibilities, social media, and endless to-do lists crowd out time with God. Delighting in God’s presence doesn’t just happen. Making the time to meet with Him isn’t always easy. When I’m “too busy” to spend time in His presence, I don’t find delight in Him.
Spiritual Dryness and Distance. There are seasons when God feels distant, and spending time with Him feels more like duty than delight. Unconfessed sin, unanswered prayers, or discouragement can make it hard to enjoy His presence. But feelings don’t determine God’s presence—He is always with us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Persevering in faith, even when we don’t feel close to Him will bring us through the season.
Misplaced Delight in Wordly Things. The world constantly offers temporary pleasures that can seem more exciting or fulfilling than time with God. We can seek comfort, identity, or satisfaction in entertainment, success, or relationships rather than in the Lord. The worst part is: we often don’t even realize it’s happening until the habit is well-established. The good news is that Holy Spirit will let you know – IF you take time to listen.
Take action
Don’t let shame, guilt, or condemnation keep you from finding delight in God’s presence. God is overflowing with grace and mercy. He’s not disappointed in you. He’s not going to punish you. He will welcome you into His presence with arms wide open no matter how long it’s been. No matter what you’ve done. How do I know this?
Psalm 149:4 says, “The Lord takes delight in His people.” What a beautiful truth! He delights in you! He finds pleasure in you. He loves you and wants a relationship with you. So don’t let the enemy rob you of His delight.
Delighting in God’s presence isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to seek Him daily. Just like Arlo delights in his monster trucks, we can train our hearts to find joy in God. Take a step today—open His Word, lift your heart in prayer, and rest in His presence. He’s waiting with open arms.
