Psalm 40:8

NASB	NLT	VOICE
8 I delight to do Your will, my God; Your Law is within my heart.”	8 I take joy in your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”	8 I am pleased to live how You want, my God. Your law is etched into my heart and my soul.

Reflecting in God’s Will

Delighting in God’s will is key to living a life of faith. To delight suggests a voluntary and joyful submission. It’s the idea of: we GET to do God’s will versus we HAVE to do God’s will. This way of life is shown through Jesus, who ultimately committed his life to God’s will (see John 4:34, Matthew 26:39). Internalizing what God teaches goes above and beyond following the laws. It signifies a level of commitment to your relationship with God. In the biblical context, the heart is the center of will, emotion, and intellect. The connection shows that God’s law influences all parts of our life. Again, we can see how this happens through the life of Christ, who embodied God’s law and taught that true righteousness comes from the heart. 

Understand How to Delight in the Instructions

Have you ever questioned whether or not you are following what God called you to do? Sometimes we believe that we are doing God’s will, but it’s just what we want. Sometimes we struggle doing God’s will because it can leave us uncomfortable and concerned of what others might think. When we pause and reflect on what God’s will is, we can begin our journey to find our role in His world. For David, these instructions would have been the Mosaic laws, with a foundation of the Ten Commandments. For us, these instructions would be God’s moral law, with the foundation based on Jesus’ ministry. If that sounds confusing, it’s okay. What I mean is that our instructions that we are to have written in our heart is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love each other as God loves us. We find out how to do that through the ministry of Jesus. Now, we can read through the ministry of Jesus and find some discomfort in us doing these things. Jesus was one that challenged the authority of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, He fed thousands of peoples, He healed people from life-ending afflictions, He raised people from the dead, and more. Are we called to do those same exact things? Yes and no. We have the power to do those things through the power of the Holy Spirit, but the plan that God has for us is special for how He created us. When we take that voluntary and joyful submission to what God has called us to do, we are unstoppable to the world. 

Reflection Questions

1. What does it mean to you to be “voluntarily and joyfully submitted” to God?
2. How do the teachings of God influence your life?
3. What have you felt God has called you to do? Have you questioned this before?

Call to Action

Read Luke 22:42. Thank God for the will He has over our world and the path He created for us. Ask Him for strength to help us remember that when things get difficult, He is right there with us. When we are tempted to quit, we can rest on His path and continue forward.

Check out the next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #289