Defeated to
Delighted
By Lexi Ellis
“Then my soul will
rejoice in the LORD and delight in His salvation.”
Psalm 35:9 (NIV)
I
just feel…I feel defeated. I feel hopeless. I’m analytical; I evaluate every
possibility and organize it. I love action plans, I thrive on being
“intentional.” And yet, I don’t see a positive outcome for this one. I feel
frustrated. I’m stick of venting about this, tired of stressing about it. I
feel sick. I can’t sleep. I feel…defeated.
It
doesn’t matter the specifics or the situation: a job, a relationship, a new
reality. It can be frustrations at work, challenges at home, no more answers
for a medical condition, strained or broken relationships, or complicated
conflict. Whatever it is, I think there are times we all feel utterly defeated.
And if we’re not feeling it currently, we have someone close to us who is.
Isn’t
it possible - - actually, more like probable - - that my defeat comes from the
reality that I’m counting on my own ability, my own strength? I truly do
believe in depending on God...and yet, why is it still such a struggle to act
on my belief?
What
would happen if I actually made God’s Word a priority, instead of meaning to?
What feelings would result if I spent time praying and listening to His Spirit
more than the times I go on Facebook? What kind of peace could I encounter that
is exclusively from God if I stopped trying to do this on my own and honestly
surrendered it to Him?
The
answer? I go from feeling defeated to delighting in Him. I shift from discouraged
to delighting in His Word. I move from despair from failing on my own to
delighting to serve and give. [1]
The
result? I don’t feel sick. I feel this burden lifted. I feel joy. I feel peace.
I feel at rest, knowing I’m doing the best I can. I feel freedom. I feel hope.
I feel delight.
I
don’t know what your “defeating” circumstance is. I don’t know what brings on
your feelings of defeat, insecurity or restlessness. But I do know we serve an
intimately personal God - - one who went through a lot to have a relationship
with you and whose heart’s desire is for you to delight in Him. Psalm 18:19
says, “He brought me into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted
in me.” (NIV) He saved us so we could be free. Our God delights in us…let’s do
what we need to do to move from defeat to delighting in Him in return!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What circumstance – in your life or in
someone you love – is causing feelings of defeat?
2. What
specifically – right now, today and tomorrow – do you need to commit to doing
to delight in God?
FURTHER READING:
[1] “Delighting in His Word leads to joyful giving and serving.” Roger Ellis, Oakwood Church Lead Pastor and pretty cool father-in-law.
Lexi recently married Andrew, serves with Children’s
Ministries at Oakwood, and is a fourth grade teacher at Lake Country Christian
Academy.
