“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 37:4 KJV

There are many simple joys that one can experience in life. They come in a multitude of ways. The joy of sharing a meal together with family and friends. The joy of children and grandchildren. The joy of a quiet afternoon sitting beside a mountain stream, experiencing the sounds of nature. The joy of walking along a beach and watching the waves crash ashore. The joy of driving through the hills and mountains in the fall and being awed by the blazing colors of the leaves. All of these things and more bring us joy. These are things we can all delight in.

But the greatest joy that one can possibly experience can only be found in the Person and the Presence of God Himself! All other joys in life, though rich, meaningful, valuable and important, pale in comparison to experiencing God Himself! It is in His Person and Presence that we find peace, contentment and ultimate joy. It is in His Presence that we discover the meaning of life and the purpose of living. (Psalm 16:11).
Jesus came to this earth to redeemed lost humanity and make it possible to experience the fullness of His joy! That does not mean that life is always easy! It is not! Life can have many challenges, trials and disappointments. Some of which can be overwhelming! But if we have discovered the Person of God, if we have come to the place where we can actually delight in Him, we will find that God Himself satisfies the deepest longings and desires of our heart! We discover that in His Presence we are truly complete in Him! (James 1:4).

That is why the Word of God tells us that if we delight in Him then He will give us the desires of our heart! What that mans is, that if we learn to delight in God Himself, we will discover that He is all that we want and need! It is there that we=e come to the place that all we want is what He wants! When we reach that place, God will indeed give us the desire of our heart. It is in that place that every request will be answered!

Rev. James W. Black

“For every tree is known by his own fruit.  …A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth  that which is evil…”

Luke 6: 44-45 KJV

One can always determine the identity of a tree by the fruit it produces.  Apple trees do not produce pears nor do walnut trees produce pecans.  Each tree is identified by the fruit that is produced.  Likewise, the life  of an individual  is recognized by the fruit that is produced.   There is  good fruit.  And there is bad fruit.  Whatever fruit is produced reveals the heart and character of the individual.     

If one is a genuine follower of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23) will be manifested in their  life. The character of Christ will be revealed in the  character and nature of the individual.  When one truly  comes to Christ, a metamorphosis (or a great change) takes place (2 Cor. 5:17).   One is  instantly transformed from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. (Col. 1:13).   As a result some things change immediately.  Other changes occur over  time.  (Rom. 12:1-2).   

Just as an apple tree bursts forth  with beautiful blossoms  in the spring, the life transforming power of the Holy Spirit produces a new beauty and fragrance in one’s  life the moment they  receive Christ as their  Lord and Savior.   But like the apple, it takes time for the actual fruit to appear.  The fruit is produced  over time simply by staying connected to  the tree.  In other words the apples are  not produced by their own effort. They are produced by remaining  intimately connected to the tree.   Likewise as one stays intimately connected to Christ, over time, His fruit  begins to be manifested in their  life.   

The longer the  fruit remains connected to the tree, the richer, fuller, and more fragrant  that fruit becomes.  Eventually that fruit matures. The beauty and fragrance of that fruit begins to appeal to others.   Soon, others desire to partake of the fruit. 

Which brings us to the ultimate purpose of the fruit.  The fruit is not produced for ourselves. It is produced for others.  Its purpose is for others to  be drawn to the fruit.  Its purpose is for others to want to taste it for themselves.  Fruit has no value unless others taste it for themselves.  (Psalm 34:8).   Therefore, it is important that we remain intimately connected to Christ.  Over time, we will begin to mature and others will be attracted to the Christ they see in us!  Christ is then glorified.  Not us!  And we will have accomplished our greatest purpose in life!     

Rev. James W. Black