God's Delight
God's love and delight in us gives us the strength to trust in His goodness and overcome obstacles.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that God not only loves His people but also delights in each one of us, taking great pleasure in our lives and well-being. He compares this divine delight to the joy a parent feels when hearing from their children, illustrating that if imperfect human love can be so strong, God's love must be even greater. Wilkerson encourages believers to focus on God's love and delight, as exemplified by Joshua and Caleb's faith in God's promises despite obstacles. He cites various scriptures that affirm God's delight in the upright and the prayers of His people, urging us to trust that every circumstance is part of God's loving will. Ultimately, he reassures that through faith, we will find joy and deliverance in our lives.
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God not only loves his people but delights in each one of us. He takes great pleasure in us. He's actually blessed in keeping and delivering us.
I see this kind of parental pleasure in my wife, Gwen, whenever one of our grandchildren calls. Gwen lights up like a Christmas tree when she has one of our dear little ones on the line. Nothing can get her off the phone. Even if I told her the President was at our door, she'd shoo me away and keep talking.
How could I ever accuse my heavenly Father of delighting in me less than I do in my own offspring? At times my children have failed me, doing things contrary to what I taught them. But never once have I stopped loving them or delighting in them. So, if I possess that kind of enduring love as an imperfect father, how much more does our heavenly Father care for us, his children?
Joshua and Caleb stood up in the midst of Israel and cried, "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us" (Numbers 14:8). What a simple yet powerful declaration. They were saying, "Our Lord loves and delights in us. And he's going to vanquish every giant, because he delights to do it for us. Therefore, we mustn't look at our obstacles. We have to keep our eyes on our Lord's great love for us."
All through the Scriptures we read that God delights in us: "Such as are upright in their way are his delight" (Proverbs 11:20). "The prayer of the upright is his delight" (15:8). "My strong enemy [was]...too strong for me...but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me" (Psalm 18:17-19).
It is absolutely imperative that we believe that God loves us and delights in us. Then we'll be able to accept that every circumstance in our lives will eventually prove to be our Father's loving will for us. We'll emerge from our wilderness leaning on the loving arm of Jesus. And he'll bring joy out of our mourning.
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Delight in Us
- A. God loves and delights in each one of us
- B. He takes great pleasure in us
- C. He is blessed in keeping and delivering us
- II. A Parent's Pleasure
- A. David Wilkerson's wife Gwen's love for their grandchildren
- B. Comparison to God's love for us
- III. Enduring Love
- A. David Wilkerson's love for his children
- B. Comparison to God's love for us
- IV. Scripture's Testimony
- A. Joshua and Caleb's declaration of God's love
- B. Scripture verses confirming God's delight in us
Key Quotes
“God not only loves his people but delights in each one of us.” — David Wilkerson
“He takes great pleasure in us. He's actually blessed in keeping and delivering us.” — David Wilkerson
“If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Believe that God loves and delights in you, and trust that every circumstance will eventually prove to be His loving will for you.
- Lean on the loving arm of Jesus and trust in His goodness.
- Overcome obstacles by trusting in God's love and delight in you.