Ditch the Distractions and Delight in the Lord

Well, another year has come and gone. Like several of you, I’ve forgone resolutions and focus on just one word for the year. After much prayer, and several applicable and outstanding words, I finally settled on the finest word for me in this season of life, and that is delight. To delight in the Lord, in His word, and in the life He has blessed me with.

But what that means exactly, and how to delight in the Lord, I had to study out. Here’s what I found…

Psalm 37:4~ Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

What does it mean to delight in the Lord?

According to blueletterbible.org delight means to be happy about, and to bend or incline to. Merriam-Webster defines delight as a high degree of gratification or pleasure, joy, and extreme satisfaction.

So delighting in the Lord means finding fulfillment in Him. As we fellowship with Him, we receive comfort, contentment, and cheering up.

Jesus is our Source of light, love, joy, peace, wisdom, and everything we need. To delight in the Lord is to recognize that fact, and act on it, by utilizing our time, talent, and treasures wisely for the glory of God.

Bible verses about delight

I found the word delight in 50 verses in the KJV. Some of my favorite scriptures about delighting in the Lord and His word are:

Psalm 94:19~ In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

When we’re overcome with worry and have runaway thoughts, it’s helpful to talk it out with friends,family, or a counselor, but only the Lord and His word can bring true peace of mind and lasting pleasure of soul.

Psalm 119:16~ I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Song of Solomon 2:3~ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Instead of looking for satisfaction elsewhere, sit under the shadow of our Savior who satisfies our souls with His affection, shades us from the heat of affliction, and sweetens our hearts with His attention.

What does the Lord delight in?

There are several things that bring God sheer delight. Here are just a few of them:

Proverbs 11:1~ A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

The Lord delights in fairness and justice, as He is a just Judge. God gets great pleasure from us doing the right thing and maintaining a proper balance in life.

Proverbs 12:22~ Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.

Our natural tendency is to lie to avoid fearful consequences. Instead of confessing our wrongdoing, we often hide our sin or blame it on others. But God delights in truth and forgives the repentant sinner. We need to deal truly in life, and be honest with ourselves and others. Prov. 28:13, 1John 1:9.

1Samuel 15:22-23~ And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

The Lord, as a perfect Father, delights in obedience. God views stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry because it exalts our will above the Lord’s. To prevent rebellion in our lives, we must be humble and submissive, knowing that God’s ways are best.

Simply put, the Lord delights in integrity. He wants our lives to line up with His word and for us to be women of character. 

What keeps us from delighting in the Lord?

Whether it’s health issues, misplaced priorities, or other things, distractions can keep us from spending time with Jesus and cultivating intimacy with Him. That close fellowship with Christ is what renews our minds, refreshes our souls, and revives our heart, so that’s exactly what Satan targets on a regular basis.

For me, I usually get pulled away from Jesus by the immediate demands of life in all the different roles I have. Sometimes my chronic pain and illness gets me down and out, and other times it’s just my flesh that gets the best of me and things like social media, shopping, or shows steal my attention from my Savior.

Despite my failures (and yours), the Lord remains faithful, compassionate, and gracious, because that is who He is. He is such a good God!

Psalm 103:14~ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

How to delight in the Lord

To find fulfillment in Christ alone takes intentionality. We need to spend time in the Bible before our phones or the demands of the day draw us away. Replacing worry with prayer, complaining with praise, and fear with faith is a way to delight in the Lord. And feeding the Spirit with sound doctrine, singing spiritual songs, and sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus with a tender heart.

I’m not always going to get it right, and neither are you. We’ll make wrong choices and be inconsistent. We may even forget our #oneword along the way. But there is grace. And it’s never too late to begin again, praying for help from the Spirit to delight in the Lord every day.

As we start a new year, it’s the perfect time to examine ourselves and see if we are drawing near to Christ and delighting in the Lord, or if distractions have overtaken us.

We don’t want to look back at the end of this year with regret. Let’s be diligent in seeking His face, disciplined over our flesh, and determined to delight in the Lord all year long!

He is worthy!

Psalm 119:35~ Make me go in the path of thy commandments, which I have loved.

Delight in the Lord with My Jesus Journal

I designed and published a tool to help Christian women grow in the knowledge of Christ daily. My Jesus Journal focuses your time in the word on Jesus and helps you cultivate a closer relationship with Him.

My Jesus Journal has space to record the date, the scriptures you read, and lined spaces to write your observations about Jesus. There is a verse from the KJV Bible at the bottom of those pages. The next page is for writing your prayers related to what you discovered in your reading. And there are extra prayer pages in the back.

Beautiful, portable, and affordable!

If you are looking for a tool to help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus, build intimacy into your relationship with Him, and deepen your love for the Lord, then My Jesus Journal is just what you need to delight in the Lord!

My Jesus Journal is compact enough to fit into your purse, backpack, or diaper bag. Grow on the go when you use wait times in the Doctor’s office, the carpool line, etc. for Bible study.

Priced at just $8.99, you can purchase one for yourself and a friend. Or consider buying one for your entire ministry, to begin a season of seeking Jesus together. It makes an excellent gift for any Christian woman in your life! Click on the picture to order today:

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FREE guide to learn how to study the Bible

Want to dig deeper into the Bible, but don’t know where to start? This handbook is for you!

I’ve written a 17-page guide on how to study the Bible, which is available for FREE in my resource library. It has step-by-step instructions, study sheets, study guidelines, and more!

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Pray With Confidence

If you would like to grow in your prayer life, then check out Pray with Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the regular contributors. Here are some articles I wrote that will renew your mind and strengthen your prayer life as you delight in the Lord:

How to Hear God’s Voice

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus

3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability

When Your Prayer for Pain Relief Goes Unanswered

Check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and tough questions tabs as well. There are many great options for your spiritual growth!