Go! And Delight in His Delight - Psalm 149:4
Psalm 149:4 (NLT) — “For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
Introduction — “Do You Really Believe He Delights in You?”
I want to begin with a question that’s not just theological, but personal:
Do you really believe that God delights in you?
Not just tolerates you. Not just puts up with you because Jesus died for you. But genuinely delights in you — rejoices over you — sings over you.
Psalm 149:4 tells us something extraordinary: “For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
This verse is not about our worthiness — it’s about His gracious love. This is not about us earning God’s favour — it’s about God choosing to set His affection on His people, because He is good. And that truth should change the way you worship, the way you walk, and the way you witness.
1. The Lord Delights in His People
Psalm 149 is a hallelujah psalm — part of the final five psalms that close the Book of Psalms, each beginning and ending with “Praise the Lord!” It was likely used in temple worship after Israel’s return from exile, a time when God’s people needed reminding of His faithfulness despite their failures.
The Hebrew word for “delights” here is ratsah — meaning to take pleasure in, to be favourably disposed toward, to enjoy. It’s used elsewhere for God’s acceptance of a sacrifice (Leviticus 1:4). In other words, God’s delight in His people is intentional, active, and ongoing.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) — “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Here, “delight” is sus — meaning to exult, to rejoice exceedingly. This is not God quietly approving of you from a distance — it’s God singing over you like a joyful Father.
In Israel’s day, kings delighted in victorious armies or loyal servants. But God’s delight is in His people — even when they are weak. His joy is rooted in covenant love, not in their performance.
Many believers live as though God is perpetually disappointed in them. But if you belong to Christ, you are clothed in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and stand in the full delight of the Father.
John Piper wrote, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” If God delights in you, then your greatest joy will be to delight in Him — because His delight fuels your satisfaction in Him.
Picture a father watching his little child take wobbly first steps. The father doesn’t say, “Pathetic attempt — walk better!” No, he delights in the child’s effort, scoops them up, and rejoices. That is how your heavenly Father looks at you in Christ.
2. He Crowns the Humble with Victory
The Hebrew word for “humble” is anaw — meaning lowly, poor, afflicted, dependent. It’s the same word used in Numbers 12:3 to describe Moses as the most humble man on earth.
The “crown” (atar) is a sign of honour and triumph. But in Scripture, victory doesn’t come to the self-reliant — it comes to those who know they are utterly dependent on God.
James 4:6 (NLT) — “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
In the Ancient Near East, crowns were often given after military victory. But here, God crowns the humble before the final victory, because humility itself is part of the victory — it acknowledges His Lordship.
1 Peter 5:6 (NLT) — “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour.”
Humility is not self-loathing; it’s self-forgetfulness — focusing on God, not self. The “victory” He gives is ultimately over sin and death through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Charles Stanley once said, “The degree to which you are willing to submit to God is the degree to which you will experience His blessing.” Humility is the pathway to wearing God’s crown of victory.
A missionary once told of a tribal leader who removed his headdress — the sign of his authority — and placed it at the missionary’s feet when he accepted Christ. That was humility, and that man gained the crown of life in return (Revelation 2:10).
3. The Gospel in God’s Delight
Psalm 149:4 reaches its fullness in the Gospel.
Romans 5:8 (NLT) — “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
God’s delight is not a reaction to our righteousness — it’s rooted in His own love and expressed through the cross.
Israel experienced God’s delight in covenant, but the cross is the new covenant sealed with the blood of Christ (Luke 22:20). Here, ultimate victory is secured — sin defeated, death conquered, eternal life guaranteed.
The word for “reconcile” in Romans 5:10 is katallasso — meaning to change from enmity to friendship. At the cross, enemies became beloved children.
Tim Keller said, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
This means you don’t have to earn God’s delight — you simply receive it through faith in Jesus. But that requires repentance: turning from sin, trusting in the finished work of Christ, and submitting to Him as Lord.
Illustration of the Gospel:
Imagine a condemned criminal, standing before the judge with undeniable evidence of guilt. The sentence is death. But then the judge’s own son steps forward and says, “I will take the punishment so they can go free.” The criminal walks out — forgiven, free, and given a place at the judge’s own table as a son. That’s the Gospel. That’s how God crowns the humble with victory.
A Clear Call to Repent and Believe:
Friend, God delights in His people — but are you one of His people? Not by birth, not by church attendance, but by new birth through faith in Christ.
Jesus Christ — fully God, fully man — lived the perfect life you couldn’t live, died the death you deserved, and rose again, defeating sin and death.
Repent — turn from your sin. Trust — rely completely on Christ. Confess Him as Lord. Receive the crown of life.
Application for Believers:
Rest in God’s Delight — Stop living like an employee trying to earn approval. Live like a beloved child.
Walk in Humility — Make daily choices that depend on God, not your own strength.
Live Victoriously — Share the Gospel boldly, knowing the ultimate victory is already won in Christ.
Benediction:
May you leave here today knowing the smile of your heavenly Father, walking in the humility of Jesus, and wearing the invisible crown of His victory, until the day it becomes visible in His presence. Amen.
