Play
Psalm 37:4, 23-24
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
Insight
It took me a long time to land on my word for 2023. I kept circling around words like joy, peace, presence, and abide, but I always kept returning to the word “Delight.” So I spent most of last January considering Delight: What does it mean? How would it change the way I think and live? What does delighting in the Lord even look like on a day-to-day basis? By the end of the month, I realized that what I needed most was not a clear definition of delight but rather for me to experience delight in God’s presence throughout the year.
I fully recognize my tendency to spend lots of time thinking, processing, considering, reflecting, etc. when it comes to who I am and who I’m becoming. I can easily get lost in considering words without choosing one. That’s precisely why My One Word is so helpful for me! It forces clarity in my thought processes, allowing me to focus on one area rather than everything. It helps me see how God shapes me in specific ways throughout the year.
As I continued to ponder what my word would be for 2023, another scripture passage came to mind. Matthew 18:2-3 says, “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” I immediately started thinking about dwelling in God’s presence (entering the kingdom of heaven) and what I could learn about how children approach life to help me delight in the Lord. I started reflecting on the days when my kids were little (2-4 years old) and how they didn’t think about delighting in each moment – they just did! It didn’t matter how small the task was, from getting dressed by themselves to stacking blocks, they were fully immersed in the experience, and it all seemed to be expressed as delight. So, to simplify my thoughts, I landed on “Play” as My One Word for 2023.
I am incredibly grateful that I picked a word in January 2023 because last year was full of challenges and changes. It seemed that it was stacked full of moments where I was faced with a choice – would I choose despair or learn to delight? Having this word helped me focus on being present in each moment, not simply waiting for the moment to pass so that I could experience joy. I learned more about what life with God looks like, and He helped me to step into each challenging moment with faith and expectant hope. Through each of the hard times, I was reminded of the need to keep it simple and find joy in the presence of my Lord, and as a result, I was able to move through each of these moments. I learned that God is faithful in more ways than I could ever imagine.
As I practiced delighting in the Lord, I learned that He establishes a way to live and move that allows me not to grow weary. My continued prayer is that what I experienced and learned through 2023 will become a part of me. I hope that as I have experienced God’s goodness, I have grown and formed to be more like Him. I know He is faithful and will sustain me through future challenges because He is with me.
Reflection
Do you have an area where you need to choose delight over despair? How can you delight in God’s Presence today?
Prayer
Lord, help us continue to grow in understanding Your goodness and faithfulness. Let this fuel us to delight in Your Presence and find freedom in the joy you alone can give. Help us through our challenges so our hearts are changed, and we become more like You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sharon King, Creative Project Manager, wrote today’s devotional.