Delight in the Lord

"If you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God." (Job 22: 24-26 ESV). These words came from Eliphaz, a friend of Job who, with Bildad and Zophar, sat with Job for seven days in sackcloth as ashes. Now, I would agree with what Eliphaz said, wouldn't you? Don't be an idolator; love God more than Gold and Silver. But at the end of Job's trial, God's anger burned with Eliphaz. Why? The problem is Eliphaz used those words to indict Job, not to praise God or to lift Job. Eliphaz and his friends were insinuating that God separated Himself from Job because of Job's actions. They could not conceive that a man, in God's eyes, a righteous man, could be dealt such suffering. But these things can and do happen to a righteous person. They happen every day.

The Book of Job

If you do not know the story of Job, Satan received permission from God to test Job. You see, God knew the caliber of man Job was and that he loved God more than anything. Satan placed all matters of destruction on Job; his cattle died, his health was affected, and ten children died in one day. Satan was betting that if he destroyed everything Job had, Job would curse God to His face, and it didn't happen. When Satan killed all ten of his children, Satan was sure Job would curse God to His face, yet he did not. God knew Job and had faith in Job. When Job's wife told him to curse God and die, Job said, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10 ESV).

Are you Delighted in God?

I have two questions for you to answer for yourself. First, what is it like to delight in the Lord? And second, is delight your highest duty? You see, I think people like baseball. They delight in cars and love pizza, but when you add the words love or delight or enjoy in front of God, their faces go blank. What do you mean to enjoy God? I do stuff for God because He commands it. Delight in God? What are you talking about, delight in God? How do we "delight in God"? What is that experience? And is that the highest obligation for you as a Christian?

Pleasure in Treasure

In Matthew 6:21, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So, if God is your treasure, He will be your pleasure, and this I not about the gifts of God but God himself. Love for God is the main issue in Job. Did Job love God more than his gifts? Satan was betting he did not. Satan was betting that if he destroyed everything God gave Job, Job would curse him. Satan said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face."And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1: 9-12 ESV). Satan destroyed everything Job had, and what did Job do? "Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell on the ground, and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job1:20-22 ESV) God had faith in Job. But God did rebuke Job for some words that came from Job's mouth, but Job survived the trial intact.

Are you Possessive

Are you so delighted in the Lord that if Satan took everything from you, would you still love God or curse Him? Is that you? Are you delighted in the person of God? Have you ever looked up at the stars and imagined what it would look like if it were pure black emptiness? Humans have known no time without God's creation, yet God existed before time. There has been no time without God; it is the person of God we worship and are delighted in Him. Everything we have, see, and are blessed with was created Ex Nihilo (from nothing). It is God we must be delighted in because He is the source of everything. Outside of God, we would not be able to have a relationship with Him because it is by His sacrifice that we are redeemed and no longer condemned. It is there by Christ's sacrifice we are reconnected to God.

Are you the Psalmist in Psalm 63? "So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. My lips will praise you because your steadfast love is better than life. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name, I will lift up my hands. Is that you? Or are you like the words in Habakkuk, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."(Habakkuk 3:17-18 ESV). Is that you? Is that your love for God?

Get In Line

Our lives align when we are solely delighted in the Lord. The order in our life is correct and God is glorified through our satisfaction in Him. He blesses us. So what does life look like when God is our sole focus and delight? I am hoping you can tell me. I know what it is like for me. It is contentment and happiness. There are little worries because I trust in Him. My relationships are better because my relationship is right with Him. The light and grace of God emanate from me as a person. There are difficult times, but my faith in the Lord carries me through them. Christ is my everything.

Would You

Do you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength? If you were to have everything, every belonging, every thought, every family member, every house, and every car taken away from you. Would you still delight in the Lord? Would you? Think about it, seriously, would you? God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Be delighted in the person of God alone because He chose you and restored you to Himself. There is no one else. Glory to God!