His Pleasure

Psalm 147:

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;  the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Horses and warriors are great in the battle, but they get shot, they fall, and they experience wounds that disable them and put them out of service.  Horses and warriors that endure and make it through a battle are hailed and honored as ones of great valor and are awarded medals and accolades.  But none of that delights the Lord or brings him pleasure.

He is delighted in those who realize their strength and their victory is in him alone.  He never fails. His love never fails.  And he wins every battle.

Take this verse personally, and realize that God doesn’t delight in your own strength or your own victories.  Every good gift and every success we experience is only by the grace and goodness of God, and it’s to him be the glory and honor.

We become mature and wise when we realize quickly that our leader in battle is the Lord.  He determines when to fight, what armor to wear, and trains our hands for battle. And he alone determines the outcome of that battle.

Feeling downcast and dismayed today? Feeling weak and weary, because the battle has been long and hard?

Put your trust in his unfailing love and watch him delight over you and build you up, in his strength and grace, for this day.