Ready:
“I delight in your commands, which I love.” – Psalm 119:47
Set:
When athletes genuinely delight in their sport, it makes a difference. Their coach doesn’t have to emphasize attitude or effort because these athletes are motivated by their joy in competing. They willingly receive coaching because they want to get better. It doesn’t mean practices are always fun or off-season training isn’t a grind at times—but love for their sport enables these athletes to push through and experience the benefits.
Now consider the difference it makes if we genuinely delight in the Bible. This is the case for the psalmist in Psalm 119. What he expresses in v. 47—"I delight in your commands, which I love”—he repeats in other places, such as: “your decrees are my delight” (v. 24), “I delight in your instruction” (v. 70), and “I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold” (v. 127).
To delight in the Bible doesn’t mean every part is enjoyable to read and consider. Some passages may feel dull to us. Other passages “step on our toes” because of how they confront and convict us. Yet all of Scripture can contribute to our delight because all of the Bible points to the God who reveals Himself through His Word. When we come to Scripture with a desire to know the Lord more fully, He draws us to Himself in an ever-deepening relationship—a relationship made possible through Jesus Christ, “the Word [who] became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Our delight is ultimately in the God of the Bible.
This delight grows with time spent in God’s Word. You’ve likely experienced something similar with your sport: the longer you’ve been part of it—playing or coaching year after year, deepening your understanding and skill, doing the hard things that help you get better—the greater your love for your sport. As you give consistent time to reading, reflecting on, and being taught from the Bible, you will find that your delight in God’s Word deepens.
This delight also grows as you obey God’s Word. When you do what God commands, you experience more delight in His Word—because what God says brings life. This then gives you an even greater desire to obey the Lord. Obedience and delight reinforce each other—and this is for our benefit! A deepening delight in the Bible makes a genuine difference. Ask the Lord to keep growing your love for Him and His Word.
Go:
How have you experienced the delight that God brings through His Word?
What is one step you can take to deepen your delight in God’s Word?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, thank You that You want me to experience the joy of knowing You and life in You through Your Word. I pray that by Your grace I would grow in spending time in Your Word and obeying Your Word. I want to deepen my delight in You. Amen.”