Delighting in God

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! --Psalm 66:1

Our church's youth leader, Jon, plays percussion with the worship band on Sunday mornings. He and his wife have three beautiful girls, two of whom are infant twins. His family usually sits on the side of the church where he plays the drums. Yesterday, when he took his place beside the piano, one of his baby girls squealed with delight and made the most precious, adorable baby noises as she recognized her daddy's face. I looked at Jon and saw that he was positively glowing with exuberant joy to be recognized by his little one. It was a beautiful moment, and one I hope I do not soon forget.

That brief experience got me thinking about how we interact with our heavenly father. Do I take the same delight and joy in recognizing who He is? Does His face radiate his love in my direction simply because I am His child? I certainly hope so.

We are God's most treasured creation. We are of great worth to Him, and He is worthy of our recognition, praise and worship. There have been times when I have rejoiced because of the things He does for me, but so often I fail to delight in who He is, regardless of what He does for me. At all times, my attitude should be one of utmost, exuberant joy, simply because I recognize His face. His character is worthy of my praise, and His attributes are beyond description. He was, and is, and is to come. His mighty works, incredible though they are, are completely secondary to who He is. This Christmas season, I will focus my heart on delighting in Him, and not in the things that He does.