Delight in Him, and in him!

 Man, how I got it wrong.... Lord, thank you for showing me the Way!

I thought I was so spiritual, so connected to God, a real prize for any man.  And this was the man God chose for me.  I could easily see his flaws, I heard God tell me to treat him like a brother... I would try to be gentle and loving, but firm in telling him what he needed to improve on, and that by the way, he needed to pursue me and love me better.  I deserved it.  Didn't he notice what a prize he had?  Ouch, how I tormented him and expected him to treat me better to no avail.  I had the "revelation" as I read that I was to be the manager of the home, that I was managing him.  No man falls in love with his critical manager.  

Show him reverence.  A man will allow his woman many, many faults, as long as he knows that she thinks he is great.

    +look into his face with adoration

    +thankful to him for loving me

    +grateful for the present abundance (see it, whatever that may look like, little or large)

    +think upon (meditate) that he is wonderful.

The more of the good I see, praise, encourage (in him and to the kids.... and the same that I do with the kids), the more I will get of the positive.  Lord, forgive me for being critical and seeing the negative.  That even in the positive that I saw, I judged it as too small, too little, not enough.  I confess, Debi has hit me square.  I have wanted Chris to perform; to be spiritual, hardworking, diligent, sensitive, an attentive parent, and doggedly pursuing me while I ran in my own direction- taking personal offense at every turn that he wouldn't act more like me...and love me more!  Lord forgive me!  Help me to at every turn show him reverence, give him deference, show gratefulness that he has chosen me.  Be joyful and thankful that he chose me, does continue to love me, and is faithful to me.  Show him that I am delighted to be his.

"The more (I) believe that I am fortunate that he chose me over the others, the better the foundation for the true marriage of two souls."  I confess, I have felt, taken the position of "superior", that he got the best in me- smart, looks, his holy spirit interpreter/ voice, etc, etc, and that he doesn't appreciate me enough.  You can't make somebody appreciate you by telling them to; they (he) will- when I am gracious- not "worthy" in performance, but gracious:  Allowing, accepting, adoring him and accepting his adoration as pure, genuine, and worthy of accepting.  My feelings of "he is lucky to have me" is backwards. I have been looking for my own help meet, I confess.  I have spent our life together trying to make him recognize what he needs to improve for me, sometimes acting as if it would please God.  Forgive me, Lord.  Help me to do better by him, how I speak of him to the kids and others, and the way I teach the kids:  To reverence him, that he is the #1 man.  That we are all blessed to have him.

As I am munching on this, I hear the DJ speak of Joy- that our joy is not by circumstances, but in the Lord.  Even this i think I have not had correct.  Somehow trying to manifest feelings of joy because I am (saved) in the Lord, because as His child I should have joy.  But what does His word actually say?

I will delight in the Lord- in doing His will.  It is in doing His will that I will experience the Joy of the Lord.  It is an outpouring from Him that defies circumstances.

Isaiah 62: the Lord promises that when His people come to Him, seeking to please Him, He will give them rest, provisions, abundance, that He would rejoice over them, taking delight in His people, bringing them redemption and reward.  This is Joy- not in the promise of something we do not yet have, but in pleasing Him, the security of joy in the present.

Psalm 147 When I sing praises to my God, saying that is is pleasant and fitting to praise  (not begrudgingly), he gathers what has been scattered (restores), heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, He determines every blessing, without limit.  Oh how good he is to the one who sings to him with grateful praise.  

11 He delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.  

We are commanded to "extol the Lord, praise your God."

13-14 "He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.  He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat."

20 "he has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws."

Oh, Lord, you cannot bless me if I do not know (intimately, in such a way that I am living them out in my life's breath) your laws.  It is nothing to have head knowledge, judging knowledge.  It is blessing to have heart (grace) and living knowledge.

And man is to be as Christ to the church to his woman... should I not understand that my reverence to him, my man and Christ, is what brings the delight, the joy, the blessing in salvation.  "Salvation", marriage, is empty without this understanding of relationship.  

A search on joy in scripture really does reveal this over and over again, it is in a relationship that submits to delighting God that I will find joy.  Likewise, with my husband.  Delighting him and finding delight in his ways- bringing him praise, and ultimately continuing to seek the Lord and delighting Him!