Reformed doctrine is the best summary of Scripture. It recognizes and teaches the full reach of God’s sovereignty. It knows and understands that God is an active God accomplishing all of His good pleasure. It knows and understands in what God delights. The Reformed also delight in what God delights. “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.
And so, we look to Scripture as to what things, in addition to the lovingkindness, justice and righteousness, that God delights in. Here are some examples.
God delights in justice.
“Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the LORD your God. “It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. “Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known.” Deuteronomy 28: 62-64
God delights in uprightness.
1 Chronicles 29:17
“Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.”
“Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.”
God delights in His elect.
2 Chronicles 9:8
“Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”
“Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”
Psalm 18:19
He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
Psalm 22:8
“Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
“Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
Psalm 35:27
Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
God even delights in the steps of His elect. That should encourage us in the midst of our journeys, work, trials, and tribulations.
Psalm 37:23
“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.”
“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.”
Proverbs 3:12
“For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”
“For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”
God delights in wisdom.
Proverbs 8:30
“Then I (Wisdom) was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,”
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,”
God even delights in something as simple as an accurate scale.
Proverbs 11:1
“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”
“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”
Proverbs 11:20
“The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.”
“The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.”
Proverbs 12:22
“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.”
“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.”
God delights in our prayers.
Proverbs 15:8
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.”
Christ delights in His bride, the Church.
Song of Solomon 7:6
“How beautiful and how delightful you are, My love, with all your charms!”
God delights in His son, our LORD Jesus Christ.
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”
In conclusion, God delights in His unchanging love.
Micah 7:18
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.”
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.”
Isn’t the following Ephesians 1: 3-12 the best summary both of God’s unchanging love and of Reformed doctrine?!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him”
“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”
“In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.”
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
Amen.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 