Delight Thyself

Golden hour—my bare feet touched the warmth of the sun-soaked concrete. As I pulled wooden pegs off the clothes hanging on the line, I breathed a little slower, smiling at the golden tones reflecting from the leaves. The day had felt heavy—unresolved marital misunderstandings, a messy house from the weekend, a sleep tank that never seemed to fully fill. And yet, here was delight. Small glimpses of joy. A hug for my weary soul.

“Take delight,” Psalm 37:4 says, “in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (NIV). We hear this verse a lot and often in the context (if we are truly honest) of the idea that if you love God enough he will give you a spouse, that job you want, a child . . . But is that what this verse is really saying? If we read the full context, I would argue that it says delight in the Lord, and he will give you himself. The more we lean into him, the more we will desire him. The more our heart will learn to delight.

“Do not fret,” verse one says, “because of those who are evil.” And the psalm continues, “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. . . . Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this . . . Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him . . . those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. . . . Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.”

Our hearts want many things. Some desires are good, some not so pure. But what our loving Father has for us is good—often simple, often sweet. The gift of daily bread. The comforting touch of nature. The joy of knowing that, even when the world swirls around us, we are held. The apple of his eye. The righteous will inherit the land. Their children will not be left begging for bread. The Lord loves the just, this psalm reminds us. He will not forsake his faithful ones. We can delight in him because we know he is good. We can walk the road less traveled because we know he is with us. We can stop and smell the frangipanis. We can take a sabbath. We can enjoy that overpriced imported food that reminds us of “home.”

When I think of delight, I think of my one-and-a-half-year-old laughing in pure joy when she sees her daddy walk through the door. Daddy equals fun. She checks the shopping bag to see what treats he brought her. She throws her hands up to be scooped up into a hug. Just hearing his voice at times will wake her up from a nap because she wants to be with him, near him. He delights in her, and she delights in him.

On Friday, some friends and I are planning to take advantage of a special deal at a local resort. Several of us have had rough months that have included sickness, a car accident, a pet passing away, long periods of solo parenting while a spouse traveled, and ministry ups and ministry downs. I am so looking forward to a day of laughing, swimming, eating some good food, and just being with people I care deeply about.

Life can be heavy, especially this cross-cultural life, and yet there are so many things to savor, to delight in along the way, and reminders that God is good. He gives so many gifts, from the taste of chocolate to the feeling of a gentle ocean breeze on your face. Every day he is ready to meet us in that golden hour as the sun begins to slip away.

He gives us the gift of family, of friendship, of himself. He promises to keep us and to lead us through safe pastures. So be still. Let your heart rest in the knowledge that he cares. It may seem some days that evil has the upper hand, but rest in the knowledge that we can take refuge in him. He is our peace. He is the source of our delight.

What golden hour delights have you been experiencing lately?