Just Delighted

The other day I mentioned how God spoke to me about my fears through Psalms 18 (Fears Relieved). I am still reading through that portion of scripture and the one verse that I cannot get past is verse 19:

He brought me out into a spacious place;
     he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Did you catch it?

He rescued me

because he delighted in me...

He DELIGHTED in me.  In you, he is delighted.

delighted: filled with delight; greatly pleased; filled with wonder and delight

 We need to remember this: that the God who created us, who knit us together cell by cell, delights in us.

When he looks at us he doesn't see all our frailties and imperfections.  Oh, he knows that they are there but what he sees is his creation - and he is pleased with it.  He takes joy in it.  And it fills him with wonder and delight.

Picture your heavenly Father up above.  He leans over to a nearby angel and says,

"See that one down there?  Yes, that one.  Isn't she beautiful?  I remember when I made her.  Oh, it was so exciting!  I remember as I formed her, as I breathed life into her...I remember kneading my love into her.  I imprinted upon her my joy and designed her with such a fantastic purpose!  I clapped my hands with delight when I finished her because she was perfect!  And so wondrous and amazing!  She doesn't know it, yet, because she is still still seeking ... searching.  But as she learns to listen, I will show her.  I will show her everything that I put into her.  I will reveal to her that for which I created her.  I will remind her over and over and over again how beautiful she is and how much I love her. (sigh) Oh, how I love that child."

That's what our heaven Father thinks of us.  He thinks we are amazing. We are precious to him and that is why he rescues us!

It reminds me of this picture that was taken of me and my favorite middle son, Isaac, at a friend's wedding.  It was not staged and I had no idea our picture was being taken.  It was just a random snap shot that the photographer took while out wandering the hallways before the wedding.

I think I was straightening his tie but I have no memory of what we may have been talking about. And that's ok, because it is the look on my face that is what is important in this picture.  The joy that is reflected there is a joy that comes from my love for my children.  Oh, how I love my boys!  And, yes, I truly do delight in them!

I can only imagine how I would react if I saw one of my own children in peril.  We lost son #3 in a large mall, once, and I still can feel the panic and terror pool at the bottom of my stomach when I think of that day. 

"My God, where is my child?!?  Please, somebody find him.  Somebody do something!  Please, Father, let him be safe!"  I screamed out in desperation over and over in my heart as every nightmarish scenario I had ever seen played out on network TV flashed through my mind like a bad slide show.  As we frantically continued to search, strangers called security and even stopped anyone who looked like our son from leaving the area.  Another parent tried to console me and reassure me everything was going to be ok.

The whole incident lasted only about 30 minutes.  It had taken our 3 1/2 year old son just a few minutes to run from one end of the mall to the other in his stocking feet (We were in the mall play area.  When he couldn't see us, he had left the play area to look for us.)  He was found at the opposite end of the mall in Radio Shack checking out the remote control cars (go figure.)  Even after the security guard notified us he had been found and they were bringing him to us, I could not rest until he was safely back in my arms. I spent the next few eternally long minutes pacing the walk way.

When the security guard finally handed him to me I thought I would burst with a mix of love, joy, and relief.

I was squeezing the breath out of him when I heard a scared and muffled, "Mommy? You lost me."

"Yes, yes, I did, honey.  But don't worry, now you are found.", I whispered back.

I think that's how God sees us.  He created us to walk next to him and he delights in every moment he has with us.  We belong with him - next to his side. But we wander off.  Sometimes we are just distracted.  Sometimes we just forget where we belong and what's really important.  Other times, like many children, we just out-and-out rebel and walk away.

And He sees the all too real peril that we are headed for and his heart screams, "Come back!  Please stay here with me where you'll be safe.  I want you here with me.  Don't you know how much I love you?!?"

But we don't listen.  Or we just don't hear.  Or we ignore him completely because, after all, we can take care of ourselves, right?

And then, despite the fact that we don't deserve it, he rescues us. No longer lost  - but found. Safe and secure in the arms of the one who loves us like no other.

'Cuz that's what a parent who delights in his child does.

He's just amazing like that.

And I for one am SO grateful.


Do you think we can ever really truly comprehend how much God loves us? Have you forgotten where you belong - where you are truly loved and are safe?  Or can you even admit you're doing a little bit of rebelling?  If so, God is calling you - run back to his arms now.