When we told the children we were taking them to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, they squealed with delight. They were so excited that they began counting the days until we all would go. What is it that causes you to be delighted like that?
We may not squeal like the kids when we are delighted, but there are feelings of joy and excitement that well up inside of us when something is truly pleasurable.
Well, that’s the kind of thing God is referring to in Psalm 1:2, when He says, “Blessed is the man…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.” Now in Psalm 1 God is talking about a very important contrast for the person who wants to be blessed of God.
On the one hand, in verse 1 He says the blessed person does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly; nor stand in the way of sinners; nor sit in the seat of the scornful. In contrast, verse 2 states that the blessed person does have a sincere delight in the Word of God – a love for God and His Word.
The word “delight” is a word that means “to find pleasure in,” to be so pleased with something that you greatly desire it. It’s like the above example of the kids going to Disney World.
The person who is blessed of God doesn’t just read the Bible because he or she has to. It’s not a compulsion of ritual or routine. Have you ever tried to read the Bible through in a year with one of those schedules that tells you how much to read each day? Well, that’s not a bad idea, but sometimes you can end up reading long portions simply because you have to, in order to stay on schedule.
The real problem, though, is that there are a lot of Christians who simply go to church but never show any genuine desire to truly study God’s Word. God wants us to delight in His Word – to look forward to times when we can be with Him. He wants us to delight in the study and learning of spiritual truths. Now you know the real meaning of the word.
Hey — The Bible tells that where your treasure is, there is where your heart will be (Matthew 6:21). So, earnestly make the Bible your treasure.