“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
– Psalm 37:4

Close your eyes for a moment and transport yourself back to the days of your childhood. What was that one physical activity that you would do for hours on end, no matter the weather conditions, with no adult supervision and without being told to do it? For me it was the simple act of throwing a rubber ball against the side of my brick house and visualizing myself making great plays for my favorite MLB team, the New York Yankees. With sweat pouring down my face and skinned up knees, time seemed to stand still. Completely lost in my own world, the only thing that would bring an end to my pure delight was mom’s insistent request to come inside to eat or finish a chore that had conveniently been put off. A big grin takes over my face when I think back on those memories. It was such a simple pleasure, but it made me feel so alive. My heart was full!

At the age of eight, I took great delight in throwing that rubber ball against the wall and I was totally committed!  In Psalm 37:4, David calls for us to take that same approach in serving God. We are to take delight in Him and commit everything we have to Him. What does that look like? To delight in the Lord means that we should take great joy when in His presence. To do this well, we must know Him well. We can only know someone well when we have a relationship with him or her. To commit to God means that we must put our complete trust in Him. We must give Him complete control of our lives, families, jobs and possessions. We must be “all in!” Then and only then will we receive all that God truly desires for us to have.

Lord, I want to know You better today. Teach me to delight in Your presence and to trust You with all that I have. Amen.