Delight Yourself in the Lord

'Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.' Psalm 37:4

For those who have been journeying with us in the last few months, you will know that we are still in Singapore waiting to get back to our work in China.

When we first came out, it was because of the visa restriction that the Chinese authorities had imposed to all foreigners due to their hosting of the Olympic which was over recently. Since we returned to Singapore in late June, the consistent word that came back to us from various friends as they prayed for us was 'safe or safety'. In the last few weeks, the word seems to be clearer. When I was in HK doing some teachings, one of the words received by the students for us was 'Stop' and 'Proceed after it is safe'. In the last couple of days, we attended a prophetic seminar in a local church in Singapore and the speaker brought up a point that this is a time where God wants to bring us into a SAFE location to protect us from danger before He launch us out again. Though the speaker is speaking to the whole congregation, it seems as though Father is speaking to us directly at the same time.

We had been praying constantly whether Father wants us to return back to China to continue our work or to stay on in HK for a period of time. Personally, as the head of the family, my fear is whether I am leading the family according to the Will of Father be it living inside the Mainland or in HK. And the underlying fear is that He will not bless us or He will be 'angry' with us if I made the wrong choice.

This morning, I was talking to Father again about where to stay when we plan to return back to China in the 1st week of October or by mid-October latest. And I was telling Father that I want to move to where He wants me to move so that He will not be unhappy with me. To my surprise, He spoke into my spirit and ask me why do I think He will be unhappy and not bless our family if I have made a decision not according to His will. My reply to Him was that wouldn't it be natural for Him to be upset if I made a decision that is NOT according to His Will. Well, His reply into my spirit is almost immediate. He said that He will not be upset with us just because I made a decision that may not be according to His Will. He is not a Father that is easily upset by us. And that His Will for us as a family and personally will be done on earth as in Heaven.

And it was at the end of this 'conversation' with Father that it donned in my spirit that since we started praying in late June till now about where to stay when we get back to China, in the mainland or in HK, our focus is what is His Will for US and whether He will be pleased with US based on the decision that we are going to make. Yet, I have never thought about what is the decision that will MAKE Him glad! The focus has been on our family and me though we have been talking about His Will. It is about US because we have been talking about His Will for US. We had been talking about are WE making decision according to His Will. And I have not asked Him what decision will make Him glad. Our focus in the past months has been about US, frankly, though we keep asking for His will be done.

The verse in Psalm 37:4 came to my mind immediately. Delight ourself in the Lord and He will grant us the desire of our heart. What does it mean to delight in the Lord? I am not a theologian. To me, it simply means asking Him what makes Him glad and do just that. When I do that, what delight Him (or make Him happy) will actually becomes my desire and He will grant it to me. And His desire for me is always good and pleasing. It is not something that will cause much distress in my spirit. It is not something that I will say in a sorrowful heart, 'Not my will but Thine be done.' But rather I will be able to say it in a delightful spirit 'Not my will but Yours be done!' when I learn to delight in Him first.

Now, my focus has been changed. I started to ask Father what kind of decision would makes Him glad with regards to whether we are to live inside mainland China or in HK when we make the move to return in early or mid Oct.

I pray that as I share this morning's experience with Father, it will encourage all of you who read this blog to consider where our focus is when we are praying or making a decision. Even when we are praying about His Will. Is our focus really on Him or are we basically focusing on ourselves. That if we take out the phrase 'His Will', the focus of our prayer or activities is just US? Have we asked Him what delight Him or what will make Him happiest in our live?

For our family and myself, we will change the focus of our prayer. It will no longer be about US primarily. It will be about His Delight. And in His DELIGHT, He will grant us our desire that WILL BE according to His Delight. That desire will comes from Him and that desire will be the best for us becasue what DELIGHTS Him will also be good for us.

Blessings