delight

Is your inbox full of reminders this week to give thanks?

We are thankful for a holiday set aside to give thanks! It is a wonderful practice, and we pray it is also our daily habit.

But I am proposing there are a few steps BEFORE giving thanks.

Think about it, were you ever told to write a thank you note to your grandma for a gift you really didn’t like? Or how about being told to be thankful when your dominant emotion is really sadness or fear?

Try this

As I was talking to God about this today, the word “delight” popped into my head. Of course, when we stop for a minute to think about the person that gave us the gift, thanksgiving starts to flow. Also, when we give space for some of the harder emotions to express themselves, we start to sense other emotions rise as well.

This week we lost a precious sister to cancer. The dominant feeling is loss and sadness. But as we let ourselves feel the sadness, thankfulness for her life also rises in us. Thankfulness that we got to know her. And thankfulness that she is out of her suffering from a 10-year battle with cancer.

We delight in precious memories of those who are no longer with us.

I got curious about the origin of the word, and the use in the Bible. I had fun studying this word and I would be happy to send you my notes.

Studying a word can help us deepen our understanding and enjoyment.

Study slows us down a bit to savor…which is also a word used for delight!

Delight 

Two of the most common Hebrew terms for delight are hepes, “to bend towards, to be inclined towards [an object or person],” and rasa, “to delight or take pleasure in.”

In the New Testament, there are several words. The most commonly used for delight is eudokeo, usually used when God’s purpose, resolve, and choice are in view. God points out his delight in his Son at both the baptism and transfiguration of Jesus (Matt 3:17; 17:5). This pleasure points to a distinct anointing and blessing that rest upon Jesus. www.biblestudytools.com/

I looked at the origin of the English word. The first recorded use was in 1175 as a verb. It meant “after light.” The Latin word used was delectāre (delectable.) Doesn’t that stir your heart!

Okay, that is enough for now. Time to go and

Let God’s light bubble up and delight our hearts.

DELIGHT in our Delightsome God.