“Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart”—[Psalm 40:8].
Delight is defined as 1 v. please greatly; take great pleasure in, 2 n. great pleasure; source of this.1 What does it take to delight in something? Is it possible to delight without the subject of delight? Do we automatically delight or do we grow into an attitude of delight? Is it learned or is it a gift—do some have it and some don’t?
A few chapters back, the Psalter admonishes us to Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.2 Just as truth is by revelation, a promise is partial, progressive, and conditional. In this verse, the promise is the granting of our desires, provided we delight in the Lord. It is unlikely that God who is love3 would instruct us to do something knowing that we are unable to do so. Here he directs us where we must focus our delight—the LORD!
The Psalter further gives us context in what is God’s will—what God takes pleasure in, In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required4 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.5
By reversing the sequence written by the Psalter,6 we may glean the process of delight:
One, heart. Like seed that is sown in good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit.7
Two, law. Through knowledge of God’s law we learn to fear God and love God. It requires intentionality, resolve, and effort to study his Word. Like any new learning at first it is dreadful.
Three, will. It is presumptuous to think that we are pleasing God without even verifying what indeed is his will. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.8
Four, do. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.9 I believed, and so I spoke.10 Unless we obey we shall not experience the goodness of God. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!11
Notes:
1.The Little Oxford Dictionary
2. Psalm 37:4
3. 1 John 4:9
4. Psalm 40:6
5. Psalm 40:10
6. Psalm 40:8
7. Mark 4:20
8. 1 John 5:14-15
9. James 1:22
10. Psalm 116:10
11. Psalm 34:8
I love this! Thank you!