View source for 47. And I will delight myself

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<strong>47. </strong><em><strong>And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I have loved.</strong></em><br><br>
It is but poor comfort to the believer to be able to talk well to others upon the ways of God, and even to &quot;bear the reproach&quot; of His people, when his own heart is cold, insensible, and dull. But why does he not rouse himself to the active exercise of faith<em>, &quot;I will delight</em> myself in Your commandments?&quot; That which is the burden of the carnal heart is the delight of the renewed soul.<br><br> The former &quot;is enmity against God: and therefore is not, and cannot be, subject to His law.&quot; The latter can <em>delight</em> in nothing else. If the gospel separates the heart from <em>sinful</em> delights, it is only to make room for delights of a more elevated, satisfying, and enduring nature.<br><br> Satan, indeed, generally baits his temptations with that seductive witchery, which the world calls pleasure. But has he engrossed all pleasure into his service? Are there no pleasures besides &quot;the pleasures of sin?&quot; Do the ways of the Lord promise nothing but difficulty and trial?<br><br> What means then the experience of him, who could &quot;rejoice in them, as much as in all riches,&quot; and who &quot;loved them above gold, yes, above fine gold?&quot; The &quot;fatted calf&quot; of our Father's house is surely a most gainful exchange for &quot;the husks&quot; of the &quot;far country.&quot; The delights of holiness go deeper than sensual pleasures.<br><br> The joy of the saint is not that false, polluted, deadly joy, which is all that the worldling knows, and all that he has to look for: but it flows spontaneously from the fountain of living waters, through the pure channel of &quot;the word of God, which lives and abides forever.&quot; No, so independent is it of any earthly spring, that it never flourishes more than in the desolate wilderness, or the sick-bed solitude; so that, &quot;although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will joy in the God of our salvation.&quot;<br><br> Men of the world see what religion takes away, but they see little of what it gives; else would they reproach—not our folly—but their own blindness. &quot;Thus says the Lord God, Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed; behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.&quot;  <br><br>The love and delight of the soul first fixes on <em>the commandments.</em> Then how natural is the flow of <em>delight in them!</em> even at the very time that we are &quot;abhorring ourselves in dust and ashes&quot; for our neglect of them; and God never has our hearts, until something of this delight is felt and enjoyed. But do we complain of the dullness of our hearts, that restrains this pleasure? <br><br>Let us seek for a deeper impression of redeeming love. This will be the spring of grateful obedience and holy delight. Let us turn our complaints into prayers, and the Lord will quickly turn them into praises. Let us watch against everything, that would intercept our communion with Jesus.<br><br> Distance from Him must be accompanied with poverty of spiritual enjoyment.<em>, &quot;They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Your house: and You shall make them drink of the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life: and in Your light shall we see light.&quot;</em>
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