Delight

Recently I was struck by a couple verses in Jeremiah. He says to the Lord in 15:16, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts."

I'm caught by his phrase "the delight of my heart." This is a heart that is singly focused. It is a heart that has one pursuit. This heart only has eyes for one thing. A heart that can say the words uttered from Jesus are the delight is contented heart. It's a heart that doesn't find sustenance in other things. Paul wrote to the Philippians that he learned the secret of how to be content in all things...whether in plenty or hunger, abundance or need. (vs 4:11-12). This is the kind of heart who finds its delight in God's words.

In the next chapter of Jeremiah, we find that God instructs Jeremiah to never have a wife or children. He's not to attend funerals, parties or weddings. Basically, his social life had no existence! He belonged to God and God alone...not only that, but he was called to give a message to Israel that wasn't the most popular sentiment of the time. Jeremiah lived a very lonely-earthly existence...yet I believe he lived a very full heavenly existence. He was captured by the One who called him and gave him a purpose and destiny. There were no other distractions or earthly crutches of false identity.

I want to know and experience how to have this heart of contentedness. It often feels like an overwhelming carrot dangling over my head that is just outside of reach. I have moments where I feel content and I experience that God is the delight of my heart. But I have way too many other moments where the opposite of this is true. How did Paul learn this secret? In contentedness there is peace and rest. It is void of striving. Contentedness involves trust. When I struggle with trusting God, I want to run to all other things/people for assurance and answers. Contentedness involves a yielded heart. Contentedness seeks first the Kingdom of heaven because it knows that all things will be added in time. Worry and fret do not co-exist with contentedness.

I'm hungry to find contentment in abundance or need, to say that the words of Jesus are the delight of my heart.

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