Pure Delight

Have you ever thought about what pure delight is? Have you ever experienced delight? There are so many things we can take delight in. Today, I want to share a special story about my family, something we all understand, and something my sweet grandson James is demonstrating in this amazing snapshot of him. Come along with me while I share about pure delight.

True Story Ahead

My family has a saying that began with my husband years ago. Whenever he thought something tasted amazing, he would close his eyes and say, “It’s close your eyes good!”

It wasn’t long before our children understood what that meant. So whenever they tasted something they liked a lot, they would close their eyes and say, “It’s close your eyes good!”

After some time, this became a catchphrase in our family to describe anything that was highly pleasing and brought great happiness.

I remember many times during our annual summer trips sitting along the rocky shore of Lake Superior in Duluth, MN, letting the sun penetrate my skin while the kids splashed rocks in the icy cold water. They’d run up to me and ask how I felt, and I’d say, “Close your eyes good!”

I can still see my kids’ faces whenever they delighted in something. They’d close their eyes, tilt their heads toward the sky, smile, and say, “It’s close your eyes good!”

Pure Delight

Delight is something that gives us extreme satisfaction or great pleasure.

Pure delight is when we’re free from anything tainted and can just let ourselves experience great happiness.

This is what I see in my grandson’s face in this picture as his daddy, my son, gently tosses him up into the warm Florida sunshine. When I first saw this picture this December, I immediately thought, “James is saying with his whole being, ‘It’s close your eyes good!’”

Oh how I love this picture! It brings me great delight just looking at his expression and knowing in that moment he experienced pure delight.

Pure delight is exactly what Jesus desires from us and desires to give us, just like James’ daddy desired for him and from him. Jesus wants us to delight in Him at least as much as James delighted being tossed into the warm air.

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart,” (Psalm 37:4).

Jesus wants us to take delight in Him because He has so much delight to give to us. This is exactly what my son did for his one-year old child. Because James delighted in his daddy, his daddy gave him the desire of his heart, which I think was being tossed into the air, feeling free, playing with his daddy, and experiencing an adventure. Connecting in this magical moment, father and son experienced pure delight together.

There’s nothing better than being happy together with someone you love.

There’s nothing more powerful than being happy in the Lord and delighting in Him. I’ve discovered when I delight in Jesus, He lavishes His love on me and delights right back to me. “It’s close your eyes good!”

My prayer for you is that you’ll so delight in the Lord that you’ll close your eyes, tilt your head toward the sky, smile, and say, “It’s close your eyes good!”

“For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God” (Job 22:26).