December 11

Not sweets, not decorations, not gifts, not even family or friends!

The Love of our Heavenly Father is the true Christmas Delight! Not just that He loved us enough to send His Son.

Our Heavenly Father delights in us! He prefers us! We are His Joy! He delights to show us mercy!

Have you been picturing God begrudgingly forgiving you? Have you felt like a bother to Him? Do you think He just tolerates you but would prefer that you were someone else?

Of course our obedience pleases Him but set that aside for a minute and look at Psalm 18.

Psalm 18:19 “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

Now look at the verses in Psalm 18 that lead up to verse 19.

Psalm 18:16-18 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. “

Now verse 19 again. He did all of this because He delights in me. Read all of Psalm 18 and see what happens when the enemy messes with us... God gets so mad that smoke comes out of His nose! We need to remember to see Him as our protective Father, our defender, who is ticked off at the enemy for messing with us. But not just that, He delights in us and delights to rescue us!

Psalm 22:7-8 “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

Did you know that your Heavenly Father delights in you??

He expects obedience and that pleases Him, but He delights to show us mercy!

Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”

May this new perspective of the Father’s feelings for you, help you realize that He doesn’t just love you enough to save you, -He prefers you. He delights in you and wants to spend time with you.

In light of the Father’s delight (pun intended) maybe we should be delighting in Him too? …there’s a promise or two in His word about that!

Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”