Today’s Affirmation: I choose what God delights in.
The positive and effective side of Affirmations is is to repeat what you desire to be, do or possess and become it. The negative side is a slippery slope of self centered greed, pride, gratification. Today’s affirmation came from Isaiah 65:12 and it is somewhat of a seeing what God does not like and choosing to be, do and become what He wants.
Back in Chapter 64 Isaiah just told us that we are the clay in the hands of the potter, our Lord. We are all the work of His hand. We are His people. In 65:2 God is saying He stands all day long and holds out His hands to us BUT we just “pursue our own imaginations”.
This pursuit of our own selfish desires is what brings us to 65:12 where God states His displeasure that we “chose what displeases me.” Forgive me God for seeking my own dreams and for making so many evil selfish choices. I praise you Father for loving me and showing me that life is so much fuller and mind blowing when I choose what You delight in instead.
Yes, it is great to dream and I hope we schedule some time every day to dream. As for me, I pray that I dream daily about what God delights in. That I read His word every day to search for the treasures like Isaiah shared with us to seek what God delights in. In choosing Him He is our potter and He is shaping us to be exactly as he intended. Here is where we find rest and meaning.
How awesome it is to seek His heart.
1. What do you think God delights in?
2. Are we seeking our delights or His, personally, as a nation, as a world?
3. Do you include God in your dreams and imaginations or are you pursuing your own imaginations or what the world has said you should dream of?
4. Pause now and ask God to reveal to you what it is He delights in that He would like you to participate in.
Father God, thank you for choosing us and please open our eyes to see what You delight in and to affirm to choose You and be who You created us to be.
I choose this day what You delight in dear Lord.
My favorite passage of Scripture is Psalm 37:5 but verse 4 tells me to “Delight myself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart.” Hmmm I ask the same questions you are here. What does it mean to delight myself in Him. When you find the answer Tom, let me know. 🙂 Good thoughts this morning.
Thanks Bill, look forward to reading how your taboo message went! Great question about what it means to Delight myself in Him!! Today, at this moment all I can think of is praise. I delight myself in just praising Him for who He is. Just praise with a joyous and overwhelmed heart…at least that’s all I have to give today. Delighted to do it…
I love the idea of asking Him what ‘He delights in that I can participate in’…I do want for Him to use me as He sees fit.
And yes Tom, I want to dream His dreams for me. My own dreams have always come up short of being fulfilling. Leaving me empty and unsatisfied. I find myself asking God for something and then saying…’but whatever you want to do’.
Such a wonderful thought process…
Thanks Robin! Praying that He gives us clarity and passion for the dreams He delights in!
Hi tomraines,
I think God delights in a people who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength!
He delights in doing us good and not harm. He delights in saving us. He delights in our obedience to Him so we can have every good thing from Him.
There is no doubt that here in Canada we are seeking our own delights as a nation and that they are very contrary to what God would have us to do and to delight in. In Canada we are delighting in calling ‘good’ bad, and in calling ‘bad’ good.
We are delighting in spirituality, but mostly the spirituality of peoples and nations who do not acknowledge the God of the Bible.
The further into sin we go as a nation the more we think that we have become ‘enlightened’.
Linda, same right here in US and appears to be worldwide. Just like rebellious children. People want to lean on their own understanding . What an evil people we are. Same as those in scripture of old.
I love what you said and you are so right about what God delights in: “I think God delights in a people who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength!
The harvest surely is plentiful and the laborers are view but together we can be faithful to pray and share our story of salvation. We too were blind but now we see. There is hope in Christ. May we continue to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength!