God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good . . . Genesis 1:31 (ESV)
I walked in the house after being gone for a few hours and let Ody, our puppy, out of his crate. He can hardly contain himself when he sees me. He runs between my legs, rubbing against me while his tail vigorously wags. He romps around the room and picks up his toys and brings them to me. His whole being exudes joy. He clearly delights in being with me.
I read a quote recently from Jim Wilder, a neuroscientist, who said, “Joy is being with someone who delights in being with you.” Ody truly exemplifies this phrase. As I reflected on this, I thought about the people in my life who most of the time delight in being with me. My husband, my boys, close friends, and others came to mind.
Then I thought, Jesus delights in being with us so much more than any pet or person on earth. He delights in being with us all the time, from the beginning of time. After God finished creating everything, He declared it was very good. Not just good, but very good. He delighted in His creation. He delights in us. He desires to be with us. Even in those times when we may feel as if no one delights in us, we can know Jesus does. When we believe this, we can live with an unwavering sense of joy.
And, because joy is contagious, let’s make sure others know we delight in being with them. We may not bounce around and wag our tails, but we can make intentional efforts to let those we love know we delight in being with them.
Faith Step: Who is someone you delight being with? Write them a note today and let them know how much joy they add to your life.
