He Delights in Me

My dad demonstrated such love to me. I still remember the time he caught me doing something that greatly disappointed him. He was so disappointed that I don’t think he knew what to do. That afternoon, he picked me up from school took me to his office and cried (that was one of the only times I ever saw him cry) as he talked to me about what I was doing.

And then there was the time when he said something to me that let me know he delighted in me. I was in my senior year in high school, I think, and said something about going into the military. I wasn’t really serious, I was just rambling on like seniors who have too many dreams and not enough deadlines are prone to do. In the middle of my ramble, I said something about the military teaching me discipline, and he said something which really impressed me. I don’t know if he even remembers it today. But, when I said that I needed to go into the military to be taught discipline, he said, “Rusty, you’ve already got more discipline than most people in the service.” Now, folks, I know that was not true, ok. But you know what that did for me. I started thinking, “Wow, my Dad thinks a lot of me. He really thinks I’m disciplined. He delights in me.”

Listen, God delights in you as His child. The reason He loves thanksgiving is because it really gets you in touch with His love for you. When you really begin to understand Who He is and all He is done for you, you are driven to Him and you begin to be motivated by the great love He has for you.