Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

June 14– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Delight yourself in the Lord.” 

—Psalm 37:4

The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to godliness, but to the sincere believer it is only the statement of obvious truth. The life of the believer is here described as “delighting in God,” which certifies the great fact that true faith overflows with happiness and joy.

The ungodly and those who only outwardly profess to know Christ (but have no inward reality) do not look upon faith as a joyful thing. To them it is service, duty, or necessity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to faith at all, it is either for personal gain or because they would not dare to do otherwise. The thought of delighting in their walk with Christ is so strange to most men that no two words in their vocabulary stand further apart than “holiness” and “delight.”

But believers who know Christ understand that delight, holiness, and faith are so blessedly united that hell itself cannot separate them. Those who love God with all their hearts find that his ways are pleasant and all his paths are peace. They find joys, delights, and overflowing blessing in serving him. We do not fear God because of any compulsion. Our faith is no chain; our profession is no bondage. We are not dragged into holiness nor driven to duty. No, our piety is our pleasure. Our hope is our happiness. Our duty is our delight.

Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower– as indivisible as truth and certainty; they are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold. [M&E]