The Psalmist says in Psalm 149:4
“For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people.”
What an inspiration comes to our hearts when we read in the Bible about the great affections of God for His children.
Surely we all have a desire to feel special, loved and appreciated. Even the wealthiest, the most independent individuals need affection and love. It is a basic need of all humans. Nobody ever wants to feel lonely or unloved. God tells us in Deuteronomy 32:10 that we are the apple of his eye. This phase is an idiomatic expression of Hebrew origin. Its literal translation in Hebrew is the ‘little man of the eyes’, referring to the reflection of yourself you see in someone’s eyes. If you see that reflection of yourself in someone’s eyes, it means the person is looking at you, watching you. As the apple of God’s eyes, God is watching over us. We are precious to him.
The Psalmist pleads in Psalms 17:8
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings”
Where else can we feel safer and loved than under the watchful care of the Almighty? A God who calls us ‘… are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession…’ 1 Peter 2:9
Indeed, as our opening text states, we are His great delight!
God delights in you
Although there are billions of people on earth, there is something special about you from the moment you decide to acknowledge God and follow him. We are special for many reasons:
- The Saints are God’s people:
“Even everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7
We are called by his name and created for his glory. Most people will dance with joy if they are asked to become a member of President Joe Biden’s family. And then if they are asked to take on his name it would be a reason to rejoice because they are certain that they have become a part of his home. We answer the name of the God of the universe and in that we are special. We are created for his glory. Going through the bible, it is repeated all through its pages, the love that God has for us, the fact that we are redeemed for his glory, we bear his image, we bear his name and we possess his Spirit.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Rom. 8:14-16
In every sense of the word, we are ‘Children’ of God and we can call him father with confidence.
- The Lord delights in his saints:
God’s word tells us in Psalm 147:11
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”
God delights in us. He is not just a God in his chambers above holding a big sword of judgement ready to condemn and destroy all who offends him. No! Certainly not! Look at his relationship with Daniel; in Daniel 10;11, he calls him greatly beloved, His relationship with Abraham: in 2 Chron. 20:7 Jehoshaphat knew Abraham to be God’s friend and of course his relationship with Job; when God boasts about Job to the Devil in Job 1:8, you can hear in those statements the love and close communion that Job had with God.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:8
God delights in our person, our bodies are his dwelling place. He lives within us and is always with us, He takes pleasure in our health, our success and our spiritual growth. God shares with us in our joys and also in our griefs.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4
The saints are indeed the delight of His soul.
Why are we the objects of God’s delights?
What does God know or see in us? What does he see in his children that give him such affectionate delight?
When we think about it, we are just weak sinful beings who grieve the heart of God at every step with our rebellion and disobedience.
God doesn’t delight in our pain and the Bible makes it clear that he doesn’t delight in our death either. In fact, in our weakness, he draws nearer to us and shows us more love, mercy and compassion.
“In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:9
He delights in our redemption from sin
“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10
He delights in our loyalty to His will, in our eagerness to be a witness of his great and wonderful works, and in our childlike trust in him. God knows that we are weak and frail yet he constantly reaches out to us in love. He knows the potential for greatness in us and he looks not at what we are now but at what we can become.
He asks us just to love and trust him and he will take us to the highest places and give us strength and hope beyond our wildest dreams.
“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.”
Psalm 91:14
Conclusion
This raises several challenging questions for each of us to ponder: Am I so closely connected with the Lord to know that He delights in me? What can I conscientiously point to in my life that would cause delight to my heavenly Father? Do I take delight in Him, His Word, His people, and His Cause?
God loves us. He has loved us from the day we drew our first breath. He loves us not because of anything we have done but simply because he is a God of love and he created us, chose us and blessed us. He delights in us. Shouldn’t we respond to him in Love?
David’s prayer should be ours
“Search me, 0 God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Ps. 139:23, 24