God’s Delight
“Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
The Bible describes several things that delight or please God. These include a broken and contrite heart over our sins (Psalm 51), the praise or worship of believers (Psalm 69), the prayer of the upright (Proverbs 15:8), and, of course, faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6).
But in this passage, God says what gives Him great pleasure, gratification, or joy is for us to know and understand Him.
In Jeremiah 4:22 – NIV, hear what God says:
My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. Note: God did not say His people do not know about Him – knowing God is not the same as knowing about God. If you were looking for a job in an office, you will realize the big difference between knowing the manager and knowing about him.
To know God means to understand His character and ways – the principles by which He operates. Unfortunately, many believers spend a lifetime only knowing about Him. Knowing Him means a relationship or friendship exist – Abraham knew God and he was called a friend of God. Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).
The necessity of knowing God intimately: Why does God want us to know Him intimately? In 2 Corinthians 5:20 we read, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us.” An ambassador is meant to give a true representation of the authority who has commissioned him for that purpose. Where you work or live you represent God – you are the Jesus with the skin on.
Paul says in 2 Cor. 3:2, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” We must not give a distorted view of the character of God and His ways – that can only come when we know Him intimately.
So, how are we going to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God?
- We must make the pursuit of God the passion of our lives
- We must diligently search the scriptures. David said, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways” (Psalm 119:15).
- We must earnestly pray like Moses, David and Paul for God to reveal Himself to us.
Moses’ passion and desire were to know God. He was a man who had experienced God on numerous occasions: He saw the burning bush where God spoke to him. God used him to part the Red Sea. If Moses were to write his resume, as many of us do today, it would fill volumes, but note his humble prayer in Exodus 33:13: “If I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.”
And what happened? God made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel (Psalm 103:7). Why? Because ways are shown to diligent seekers. You do not give your password to a casual friend – the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. They seek Him wholeheartedly.
King David prayed in Psalm 25:4, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.” Also, in Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” And what happened? God called him a man after His own heart (1 Sam. 13:14).
Apostle Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10 was that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. And what happened? Paul received so much revelation from God that he couldn’t share it all.
Friends let us meditate on God’s Word by reading it slowly, by asking the Holy Spirit to give us revelation of the hidden truths, and then believing that He will. Our meditation will produce revelation. And revelation will motivate us to worship Him and obey Him. And obedience to the truth is the only thing that releases God to conform us more to the image of His Son which brings us into intimate friendship with Him. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Amen.