The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness—but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth. The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God—and we are thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. Ungodly people and mere professors never look upon godliness 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 thereby, or else because they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delight in Christ 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. Those who love God with all their hearts, find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace.

Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses, do the saints discover in their Lord, that so far from serving Him from custom, they would follow Him though all the world casts out His name as evil. We do not love God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession is no bondage, we are not dragged to holiness, nor driven to Christian duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight!

Holiness and delight are as allied—as root and flower; 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.”

Courtesy of Grace Gems! Used by permission.