The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

Proverbs 11:20

We’ve discussed the perverse heart in our 31 Days: Heart Matters month and we’ve discussed that it is serious business to be an abomination to Yahweh in several 31 Days posts. So, today I want to focus on the very opposite of the perverse abomination heart. But, first a question…

Do we want to be God’s delight? 

Don’t answer too quick! It seems obvious that a Christ-bearer should answer, ‘Yes’ to this question. However, since our focus in this 31 Days is searching God’s Truth Primer, we want our answer to be truthful. And, the only way to be truthful is to willingly let God’s Truth shine deep within where the truth about us resides. I am willing, even though it will probably be a bit scary and uncomfortable to do that today and I pray you, dear reader, are also willing. Onward to the Truth and may we recognize IT!

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:4-5

Personally, I do know I want to be God’s delight! I also know, that my only hope of doing that is through Jesus as my Lord and Savior, which He is to me! Through Christ, I am God’s delight; I am accepted by God through Christ’s payment on the cross and is glorious resurrection. I also know, that this Good News of the NT does not obliterate the mandates and commands and Truth given in the OT. Christ said he came to fulfill the law. So…now what!?

I think it boils down to sanctification. In Christ at the moment of my salvation, I have been sanctified before God and am His delight. I am also in process of sanctifying…continuing and daily…really minute by minute. In my future when I die and go to heaven or meet Jesus in the air, I will be in the completed state of sanctification and literally stand before my Creator as His delight! Very Cool!

Picture it this way. I walk with my grandson often; in stores, in a park, in his neighborhood. And I hold his hand. That is key. He doesn’t hold my hand. He can’t. His hand is currently too small. Someday, he will be holding my hand and keeping his elderly Gma stable as we walk. (Hmm…won’t that be a precious moment. Lord willing!) 

So, we are walking along and just having a grand time. Suddenly, he sees a ball in the street and he decides he wants to run into the street and retrieve the ball. I tug on his hand and give a ‘no’ or ‘look both ways’ or ‘wait’. He ignores all my guidance; all my sanctifying efforts, pulls hard and finds himself in the middle of the street the ball now in his hands. 

Is this strong willed, purely narcissistic five-year-old still my delight? Do I still accept him? Oh YES! Is he currently in my favor? Is he experiencing my goodwill standing in the middle of road? Are we experiencing a pleasurable intimacy at that exact moment? Not so much. 

No matter what this precious boy does or does not do or what he thinks or where he goes; he will always be accepted by me as my grandson. That will never change. But there will be moments, and many of them, where a process of sanctification needs to happen for the relationship to be restored and the sweet, pleasurable and delightful harmony between us will be our experience once again.

(Of course, being two humans in relationship I also need plenty of sanctification within the relationship. God, being God, has zero need of any sanctifying! But I cannot really fathom that and neither can you, so I have to use an insufficient human example. I hope it helps!)

Walking a blameless walk is just what it sounds like; it is a journey. A journey of sanctification in and through and because of Jesus the Christ! Hopefully, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior, Jesus, we don’t find ourselves in the middle of the street quite as often as we once did. 

Keep your hands wrapped inside of Jesus’ hands and I will do the same!