Pleasure, Delight, Contentment and Satisfaction in God
True pleasure and delight in God is reserved for genuinely holy people.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that true pleasure, delight, contentment, and satisfaction in God are only experienced by those who are genuinely holy. He contrasts the fleeting pleasures sought by the covetous, ambitious, and worldly individuals with the profound joy that comes from a relationship with God. Brooks highlights that delighting in God is a noble and spiritual endeavor, reserved for the holy, who recognize His unparalleled beauty and worth. He encourages believers to find their ultimate satisfaction in God, as expressed in the Song of Solomon and Isaiah.
Text
There are no people under heaven, who take any real
pleasure, delight, contentment and satisfaction
in God--but those who are genuinely holy.
"How is your Beloved better than others, most beautiful
of women? How is your Beloved better than others, that
you charge us so?" Song of Songs 5:9
The covetous man takes pleasure and delight in his money-bags.
The ambitious man takes pleasure and delight in his honors.
The voluptuous man takes pleasure and delight in his lusts.
The malicious man takes pleasure and delight in his revenge.
The envious man takes pleasure in the harms which befall others.
The drunkard takes pleasure and delight in his cups.
The adulterer takes pleasure and delight in his harlots.
The gamester takes pleasure and delight in his shifts and tricks.
The worldling takes pleasure in his fopperies and fooleries.
It is only the holy man who takes pleasure and delight in God.
To delight and take pleasure in God, is a work too high, too
hard, too spiritual, and too noble--for any but holy people!
"My Beloved is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand
others! Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and
this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:10, 16
"I delight greatly in the Lord! My soul rejoices in my God!"
Isaiah 61:10
Sermon Outline
- I. The Nature of True Pleasure and Delight in God
- A. It is reserved for genuinely holy people
- B. It is a work too high, too hard, too spiritual, and too noble for anyone but holy people
- II. The Contrast Between Holy and Unholy Pleasures
- A. Unholy people take pleasure in worldly things (money, honors, lusts, etc.)
- B. Holy people take pleasure in God
- III. The Description of God as a Beloved and Friend
- A. He is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others
- B. He is altogether lovely
- IV. The Expression of Delight in God
- A. Through songs of praise (Song of Songs 5:9-10, 16)
- B. Through declarations of joy and rejoicing (Isaiah 61:10)
Key Quotes
“There are no people under heaven, who take any real pleasure, delight, contentment and satisfaction in God--but those who are genuinely holy.” — Thomas Brooks
“My Beloved is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others! Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!” — Thomas Brooks
“I delight greatly in the Lord! My soul rejoices in my God!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- As you reflect on your life, ask yourself if you are taking pleasure in worldly things or in God.
- Make a conscious effort to express your delight in God through songs of praise and declarations of joy and rejoicing.
- Seek to become a genuinely holy person by cultivating a deep relationship with God.