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A close friend of mine shared this phrase recently. It is based on Psalm 18:19 (ESV), “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” My friend wrote: “I read this psalm and fell in love again. I highlighted a phrase that thrills me. Absolutely. ‘He delighted in me.’ Imagine God delighting in us! Doesn’t that give you chills? Would He? I imagined Him being well pleased or telling me that I did a good job. Wow!”

Delighted in me -- Psalm 18:19“He delights in me!” What powerful words! Just two words in the Hebrew, and we should repeat them every day! It should be no surprise to New Testament believers, in spite of the Message Bible, “I stood there saved — surprised to be loved!” I John 4:16 is clear that “God is love.” “Delight” is clearly part of the response of love. Some versions prefer the words “He was pleased with me” but the majority use the word “delighted,” with some preserving the Hebrew alliteration: “He delivered me, because he delighted in me.”

While some place the emphasis on what God did for us rather than the relationship that gave birth to the act, I would suggest my friend got it right by getting excited first by God’s delight before considering God’s acts. Whenever you see “He” and “me” in the same sentence, we can learn much from it.

Look at the immediate context of this verse:

  • “He took me” (verse 17),
  • “He brought me…
  • He rescued me…
  • He delighted in me” (verse 19),
  • “He rewarded me” (verse 20),

and we could highlight also “The Lord” and “me” in these same verses!

The New Testament counterpart could well be in Ephesians chapter 1, where Christ is brought into the picture:

  • “He chose us in him,” (verse 4),
  • “He planned in love for us” (verse 5 AMP),
  • “He blessed us in the Beloved” (verse 6),
  • “In him we have redemption” (verse 7),
  • “His grace which he lavished upon us” (verses 7b-8a).

“He” and “me” or “us” are all little words with big jobs!

Now let’s look at the usages of the word “delighted” or “delights” in the Psalms. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23 NKJV). God delights in the man who accepts and obeys God’s guidance. “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). “By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me” (Psalm 41:11). One more and I’ll let you do your own digging! “You delighted in them” (Psalm 44:3).

“He delights in us” and He wants us to delight in Him! “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). This is how we express our love for Who He is as well as for what He does. This Psalm gives the believer guidance when others are against you (verse 1). “Fret not… trust in the Lord… delight yourself in the Lord,” etc.

The phrase I am highlighting is part of a trio of instructions:

  • “Trust in the Lord…” (verse 3),
  • “Delight yourself in the Lord” (verse 4), and
  • “Commit your way to the Lord” (verse 5).

I believe the order is significant. Charles Spurgeon wrote in his book The Treasury of David, “Make Jehovah the joy and rejoicing of thy spirit.” When you do that, you will not need to be anxious about anything. David, the Psalmist, is recorded as having done just that in I Samuel 30:6 (AMP), “David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

Is the truth getting clearer now? “He delights in us,” and “we delight ourselves in Him.” — Peter Wade.