Delight in YHVH

In January 2022, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the God of my exceeding joy and to find deep delight in Him. To rejoice amidst our circumstances forms a protection that causes yokes and burdens to break and fall.

Here is a short extract of the Word by the Holy Spirit:

Arise, arise! My Spirit wants to teach you about the God of your exceeding joy. I am the God in who you can delight. It’s the destiny of My children. It’s the inheritance of those that fear Me.

In My Kingdom there is joy amidst tribulation. Your eyes and ears are so focused on the world, on the enemy and everything that happens around you, that you allow the enemy to rob you of your joy. He knows that your joy is a shield and strength. Just like peace, joy protects your heart and mind.

Delight yourself in the Lord. Delight…

It means to enjoy Me, to enjoy and celebrate yourself in Me. Do a word study to understand the full meaning and context.

 

The portion that now follows, is the result of my word study.

Psalm 37:4 is most probably one of the most known verses that talks about us having to delight in the Lord: “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart”. I’ve used this verse as the basis and starting point for my study.

The Hebrew word for delight is ânag which means the following:

• to be soft or pliable
• to be delicate – very fine in texture or structure; of intricate workmanship or quality.
• to be happy about, take exquisite delight

 

I have always only linked the word ‘delight’ to finding purposeful joy in the Lord. I believe it’s still the meaning to a large extend, but it’s not the full picture.

Initially the other meanings puzzled me: what does soft, pliable and being delicate have to do with joy and delight?

This is how I understand it:

When we are like soft clay, we are easily pliable in the Hands of the Potter. We then effortlessly submit to the will of the Lord.

Under the surface of this verse lies a much deeper meaning. When we are like soft clay and we allow Him to mould us into a vessel of honour, the desires of our hearts change. Selfish and soulish desires that centres around us, dissapear. Our desires begin to reflect His desires until the day comes when we can truly say: “Not my will, but Your will alone”.

A free translation of the verse can be: “Make yourself soft and pliable before God and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

This verse is not about our happiness, our fulfillment or our desires. It’s all about God’s Kingdom and how we can be aligned to Him. Man’s deepest fullfilment and joy reaches culmination in the Hands of the Potter. We can only taste true, intense and deep satisfaction, when we are soft, pliable clay.

 

“The desires of God and the desires of the righteous, agree in one; they are of one mind in their desires.” – John Bunyan

 

We see the same picture in Job 22:24-30.

When we lay down our plans, desires, cleverness, supposed wisdom and riches (we toss our gold in the dust), or in other words, when we lay down our self, the Lord becomes our gold. Only then will we be able to find intense joy in Him and then the promises from verse 27 onwards will come into effect. Why? Because we are praying God’s will. Our priority is His Kingdom. Our desires are His desires.

This brings fullfilment in the deepest parts of our being.

 

Scripture references:

Job 22:24-30 – Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person. He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

 

Psa 37:3-6 – Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

 

Rom 7:22 – For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

 

Shalom!

Yolandie Mostert

(28 February 2022)