He Delights in God {Entry 4}

The implication from delighting in the things of God (see previous posts) is that the Christian will delight in God. Like the little brother who will do whatever his big brother tells him, the Christian seeks to do all that God commands and says because he admires and cherishes God. He is at God's every beck and call so that when a word falls off the page, it will always sink deep into his heart because his God has said it. The best analogy I can think of is scriptural. Ezekiel 16 gives the plight of the human race as evidenced in the nation of Israel. We were cast aside and helpless on the road and God picked us up and washed us (an idea that Paul picks up on in Ephesians 5) and married Israel. However, she was unfaithful and abandoned God and whored after other nations. Why? She did not delight in her husband. She was enamored by the glitz and glitter of fame and money. So she abandoned God for lack of love and delight in him. The rest of the chapter explicates the disgusting things that Israel did with other gods. And you would think that would be all, but the last five verses gives great hope in the light of adultery. 59   "For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of* the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God." I will deal with this idea of covenant in the future, but suffice to say that God has sworn to establish an everlasting covenant with Israel. What does this new covenant entail? God commands Israel to get a new heart in 18.31. BUT in 36.26-27 he says, "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." This is the beauty of the New Covenant that God has established with his people (Jew and Gentile)...he will give us a new heart to delight in not only his commandments, but, even more, in him. Therefore, another distinguishing characteristic of the Christian is that he delights in God. Application: The one who delights in God will: 1. Talk about him freely 2. Desire to know him better 3. Read his word since this is how he has revealed himself...how else will you know someone better unless you listen to him 4. He will talk with him 5. He will want to introduce him to other people (a sign that I enjoy my wife is that I make a point to introduce her to other people I know not just as a social nicety) 6. He will be humble because he knows that the heart to delight in God has been given to him and not figured out by logical rationale 7. He will seek to emulate God as revealed in Jesus (living sacrificially, speaking truth, practicing justice, weeping when people are hurt