He Delights in Us

 

 

Lorie Hartshorn – Co-Host – The 700 Club Canada, cbn.com

I have the privilege of being a mom and now a grandma, and there is nothing like the birth of a baby. The word that comes to mind is delight! There is celebration and awe over a new little life, and we continue to delight in our children as they grow up. A baby learns to roll over, then crawl, and start to take his or her first steps accompanied by squeals of laughter and joy — look at what they can do!  Even when a child is tired and grumpy, a parent or grandparent still sees that child with delight. Children are a gift, a blessing from God. Do you think God sees you in this way?

When our kids were little, my husband’s favorite time of day was when he got home from work because the kids would come running to him shouting, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” He’d scoop them up in his arms and they’d giggle and laugh.  They knew he was delighted with them. They brought him joy.

That’s how God sees you, too! From your very conception, God had joy in forming you. Psalm 139 tells us that we are wonderfully made and that our days were ordained by God before we drew our first breath. We are reminded in Genesis that each one of us is made in the image of God. This means that we are a reflection of who He is. We are like our heavenly Father. Daddy. Here is one of my favorite verses:

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV).

Recently, I sat at the end of our dock with my little grandbaby in my arms. Minutes before, she had been on a mission, crawling and getting into everything.  But as we relaxed there, I sang to her. She sat perfectly still and quiet. She was snuggled in as I rejoiced over her with singing. That’s how the Father sees you. He invites you to a relationship with Him. To eat with you, walk with you, empower you, provide for you. He cares for you. He is close to you. He gives you a huge inheritance. He gives you His authority. You are the apple of His eye. He delights in you. You make Him smile.

So how do we respond to that kind of God? Do we run and jump into His arms, calling Him “Daddy”? Do we sit still and quiet as He rejoices and sings over us?

I remember a birthday card that my mother-in-law gave to my husband. In it she simply wrote, “Let Him love you.” When I first read it, I didn’t know what she meant. Then it struck me. We can often be too caught up in our busyness, our troubles, and our distractions that we miss God. He delights in you. He wants you to let Him love you. Welcome His perfect love. You don’t have to work for it. He already loves you completely. He couldn’t love you more than He already loves you.

Christianity is not about appeasing an angry God, and Jesus’ death and resurrection already satisfied the required payment for our sins. Paul writes,

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

God loved us first. He delights in us. Christianity is about receiving His love. Let that wash over your heart and mind today and free you from any distorted views of God. Then, run to your Daddy, and let Him take delight in you because that’s courageous living.