On Christmas morning, did you see similar expressions of delight on kids’ faces as gifts were unwrapped?
JENNA OPENING GIFTS
And if you were a parent giving those gifts, didn’t you feel delight too, in the watching?
If God is the ultimate parent (and he is!), don’t you think he’s similarly pleased when we’re delighted with the gifts he gives us?
He gave us the rare gift of waking up to snow in the South on Christmas morning. And judging by the pictures that popped up all morning on Facebook, many of us were very delighted with this white gift.
MY FRONT YARD
Part 1 of my spiritual resolution for 2011 is Depend.
It will task me for greater faith and humility and obedience.
I resolve to trust God to give me gifts of grace as needed, and to work with me in faithfully handing them back out to others.
Trust the LORD, and do good things.
Live in the land, and practice being faithful.
~ Psalm 37:3 (GW)
But Part 2 of my resolution? Delight!
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
~ Psalm 37:4 (ESV)
The more I depend on him for life and breath and everything, the more I’ll delight in him! Be grateful for his gifts of grace. Rejoice in his provisions. Enjoy the pleasure of his presence.
I want to sing more, to laugh more, to be amazed more, and to be satisfied more in the Lord and the things of the Lord.
Joy is a fruit of his spirit, and I want to explore it more this year. Intentionally and consistently and purposefully. I want to look closer this year at what delights him, and delight in those things myself.
Just as Jenna and Morgan depend on Jeff and me on Christmas morning for their gifts, I want to depend on God for gifts in my future and be delighted in him when he gives them. With snow or without.
NEW EARRINGS MADE BY JENNA
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Have you made any New Year Resolutions this year?
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5 comments:
Depend and delight - love it!
No, I don't make New Year's Resolutions because they never go with the flow of what God has ordained the year to be. Instead, my only statement is that I will watch and see what He will do, knowing that it's for my good and for His glory. I've given up guessing and planning as to what lessons I might be taught.
That said- I particularly love the fact that you've chosen the word "delight" and the reason behind it. Beautiful (and exciting!)
I love the analogy of God's delight in our delight of His gifts just as we delight in our kids' enjoyment of out gifts.
I don't make resolutions per se but sometimes I do make a list of goals.
I like the idea of your choosing a word for the year, though I haven't felt led to do that myself. Our word for last year would have been "Change" -- some of that I suspected was coming at the beginning of the year, but there were ramifications I did not foresee.
Joyful words, Lisa! I love reviewing Jonathan Edwards "resolutions" at the beginning of each year. He lived with such intention.
May this year be full of ever-growing dependence on and delight in the LORD!
Can't wait to hear all about it!
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