Psalms 147: 10-11
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
So often I want to only bring God the best parts of me. I want to hide my mess, get all cleaned up,
and then come before him. But, this is not what God wants. He is not impressed by my accomplishments or successes. He is not delighted with my strengths or the best parts of me. What God takes pleasure in is my humble submission to him.
Verse eleven says the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him. To fear God is to submit to him:
To submit yourself to be completely overtaken by his love
To submit yourself to be justified by his grace
To submit to his good, pleasing, and perfect will
To submit to his commands
To submit to his Spirit
What God takes pleasure in is our surrender. We don’t have to be strong and we don’t have to be polished or perfect before coming to him. When we give him all of ourselves, he then begins to perfect us in his power. God is not delighted with what we can do, but when we surrender, we begin to see what he can do.
Though I may prefer the best parts of myself, that is not all I can bring to God. I can bring the messy, confusing, and angry parts of my heart too, because God wants it all. There is no better place for our mess than the hands of the Father.
So, friends, I invite you to put down the mask you wear when you’re with God. You don’t have to put on a show. He already knows every part of you and loves you immeasurably still. You don't have to perform to be loved by God and you don't have to rack up accomplishments to be worthy of his favor. Take comfort in knowing that God does not delight in your strength, but takes pleasure in possessing your heart. Submit to him today.
God,
Your love is not dependent on what I can bring, thank you! You don’t delight in my accomplishments or my polished-up self; you delight in the surrendered posture of my heart. Today, I submit myself to you. I give you every broken piece of my heart. I am weak and in need of a savior. Come mend my heart and renew my Spirit. Help me let go of control and live free knowing I am loved by you.
Amen.