The Delights of Deity
Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases.”
Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about what pleases the Lord? he does whatever he pleases
What is it that pleases the Lord? The word please in the Bible means to take delight in, to rejoice in, to find joy and pleasure in.
Psa 135:6 says "Whatever the LORD pleases He does…." We do that don’t we? We do what we please don’t we? Where did we get this? We got it from the One in whose likeness and image we are created in.
What is it that you find pleasure in?
A day with the family? A day at the beach?
A vacation? A movie? A day off work?
A nice meal at your favorite restaurant?
A day shopping? Working in the yard?
Worshipping and fellowshipping with other believers?
These are some of the things we delight in and find joy in.
But what about God? What gives him pleasure? What does he delight in and find joy in?
Glad you asked.
Scripture tells us.
1. It delights him when his children delight in his word.
God wrote a book. Now, if you wrote a book and people bought it and read it would you take great delight in that? Would that bring you joy and happiness? Sure it would. That’s why you wrote it so other will read it and enjoy it, right?
God wrote a book. You think it brings him delight and joy when we read it? Sure it does.
Psa 1:2 speaking of the godly says, the godly “delights [find joy, pleasure, happiness] in the law of the LORD; and in his law they meditate day and night."
Remember we’re talking about what pleases God. To please means to take pleasure in, to delight in, to rejoice in or to find joy in.
God wrote a book and it brings him delight and joy when we read it? God takes pleasure in those who take pleasure in and rejoice in his word.
Listen to what Jeremiah said. He said, "Thy words were found, and I [took great delight in] them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart…." - Jer 15:16
Did you hear that? Jeremiah, that godly man, said God’s word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Do you think it brought joy and rejoicing to God’s heart that his word brought joy and rejoicing to jeremiah’s heart? You better believe it did.
Job, the most righteous man of his day said "….I have esteem-ed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." - 23:12
Job said, I delight in his word more than I delight in food. We like food, don’t we? We eat at least 3 times a day. How much time do we spend feeding our souls on God’s word?
It delights him when his children delight in his word
2. God is delighted when his children come into his house for worship and fellowship.
God has a house. Q -- Does it delight you when your friends and family come to your house for a visit? Does that bring you joy, delight, pleasure?
I tell you we live pretty busy lives, going in different directions, but, I’m happy when all my children are home. We’re visiting and laughing.
God has a house. And it brings him great joy and delight and pleasure when his children are here.
Psa 122:1 David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD."
David was glad, happy, joyful, delighted, when he went into the house of the Lord and I’ll tell it makes God glad, it makes him happy when his people are in his house.
You read the Gospels and you will see how on the Sabbath Jesus was in the Synagogue worshipping and fellowshipping.
Mar 1:21 "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught."
Mar 6:2 "And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue…"
God is delighted when his children come into his house for worship and fellowship.
This is why the scripture gives us this encouragement in Heb 10:25 “forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as some do, but encourage one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
God is delighted when his children come into his house for worship and fellowship.
3. God takes delight in doing good to his children.
God is a father and he has lots and lots of children and like any good father He provides for and takes good care of all ‘em.
Those of you who are parents, when you planned to have children you planned to provide for and to take care of ‘em, right? So did God our creator and father. He graciously, generously provides for and takes care of his children.
Look at Mt. 7:7-11 and 6:25-30
Phl 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." -
Rom 8:32 “He who spare not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
1Co 1:5, "you [are] enriched in everything by Him ... v7 so that you come short in no gift"
Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -
One translation puts it, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." - Rom 8:28
God works all things together for those who love him and are the called.
Are you one of his? Are you one of his called? It delights him to work everything out for your good.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jer 29:11
God takes delight in doing good to his children
4. God takes great delight when his children live together in love, peace, and harmony.
As I’ve said, God is a father and like any parent he pleased when his children live together in peace, love and harmony.
As a parent, when were you most delighted with your children? When they were fussing, arguing, complaining or living in peace, love and harmony?
Obviously, the later. It is a great delight to a parent when their children live together in peace, love and harmony.
So it is with our heavenly father. Psa 133:1 God says, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"
1Co 7:15 the scripture says"… God has called us to live in peace."
Rom 12:16 exhorts us "Live in harmony with one another.”
Rom 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
Paul writing to the believers at the church of Corinth who was plagued with problems encouraged them “dear brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions among you. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose." - 1Co 1:10
In John 17:22 Jesus prays that we may be one as he and the father are one.
This is only possible if we love one another. John 13: 34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
God takes great delight when his children live together in love, peace, and harmony.
5. God takes great delight when the prodigal returns home.
Look at Luke 15:11-24
The father in this story is our heavenly father. The prodigal is all of us.
We’ve all taken what God has given us and wasted it in sinful living. We’ve exchanged the good grace of God for the slop of this world.
We’ve spent many nights sleeping with the pigs in the pig pen. All of us. Don’t think you haven’t. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
There is none righteous, no not one.
And there wasn’t a day went by that the father didn’t look over the horizon to see if we were coming home.
And the day we came to ourselves and realized we had it better in our father’s house and we came home-- our father was delighted, he rejoiced, he was happy.
Maybe some of you have left the father. He will receive you back. It will bring him great joy for you to return.
The Delights of Deity What gives him pleasure? What does he delight in and find joy in?
It delights him when his children delight in his word.
God takes great delight when his children live together in peace, love and harmony.
God is delighted when his children come into his house for worship and fellowship.
God takes delight in doing good to his children
God takes great delight when the prodigal returns home.
Now that you know what delights your father, go and bring him pleasure, bring him joy, bring him happiness.
