Discovering the fullness of God’s presence

by John and Cheryl Drouillanrd

Delighting in God, oh my! How could we not?

But what does it truly mean to delight in God?

Let us go to First John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.” Is it possible the same principle applies to delight? We delight because he first delighted in us? Quite possibly! For “every good and perfect gift is from above” (Jas. 1:17, Holman Christian Standard Bible). Even our ability to delight in God comes from him.

Therefore, delighting in God is all about his very essence. To delight in God is a celebration of his being—of him being the great “I Am.” There is a completeness about him that brings us gladness in heart and rich contentment of spirit when we come to understand more fully the one who has loved us with his everything! The very essence of this love is evidenced by him saving us. Redeeming us. Protecting us. Keeping us. Rescuing us. Calling us. Equipping us. Adopting us. Choosing us. All because of who he is. There is no other response more fitting to all that God has done, to all that he has been, to all that he is, than to delight ourselves in him!

Once we know more fully the very essence of his being, we cannot get enough of his presence. We take great pleasure in being with him, and he with us. His name, Immanuel, lingers long past Christmas and into our every day, as we commune with him and find in him a fullness unlike any other. Psalm 16:11 declares “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy.” What a delight, just to be with him! 

Similarly, as we pursue spending time with people we love, we do so out of desire, knowing how life-giving and joy-filled it is to be together. Let us value the life of God’s presence above all else! Our desire to delight in God cannot be circumstantial. It is not something we do just when we feel like it or when life is going well. God is worthy, always! He is unchanging and his presence is entirely faithful. Our delight in him simply cannot be dependent on how life is going or how we feel on any given day! For when we delight in him, regardless of life’s circumstances, we bear evidence of a maturing relationship. Obedience becomes less about duty and more about love. Worship becomes less about routine and more about response. Delight becomes less about obligation and more about being enthralled with our loving Papa through all of life’s highs and lows.

Oh, that we would know God’s delight in us first, and hear his shouts of joy! Then, and only then, will we discover the fullness of his presence and delight in him more fully.

“Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will bring you quietness with His love.
He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”
~Zephaniah 3:17 (HCSB)

We are a couple of Jesus-lovers with a bunch of Jesus-loving kids. We’re two decades into homeschooling and one decade into business ownership. John serves as bishop to Willow Street-Strasburg district and enjoys reading, hunting, and a good road trip. Cheryl mentors, counsels, and coaches cross country. Thirty years into marriage, we remain best friends and increase in love for one another and in our first love, Jesus.