Morning, June 14, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“Delight yourself in the Lord.” — Psalm 37:4

This teaching must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to a vital godliness, but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth. The life of the believer is described here as a delight in God, and we are therefore confirmed of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. Ungodly persons and mere professors never look upon religion as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or necessity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion at all, it is either that they may gain by it, or else because they dare not do otherwise. The thought a delightful religion is so strange to most men, that no two words in their language stand further apart than “holiness” and “delight.” But believers who know Christ understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them. They who love God with all their hearts find that his ways are pleasant, and all his paths are peace. Such joys, such overflowing delights, such abundant blessings, do the saints discover in their Lord, that—far from serving him from custom—they would follow him even though all the world cast out his name as evil. We do not fear God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession is no bondage, we are not dragged to holiness, nor driven to duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight.

Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower; as indivisible as truth and certainty; they are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold.

“‘Tis when we taste thy love,

Our joys divinely grow,

Unspeakable like those above,

And heaven begins below.”