These words must seem shocking to those who are strangers to vital godliness. But to the sincere believer? This is simply stating what we already know. The believer's life is described here as delighting in God, and this certifies the glorious truth: true religion overflows with happiness and joy!

People who don't know God—and those who merely play at religion—never see faith as something joyful. To them, it's a service to perform. A duty to check off. A necessity to endure. But pleasure? Delight? Never! If they bother with religion at all, it's either to gain something from it or because they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delighting in holiness is so foreign to most people that in their vocabulary, "holiness" and "delight" might as well be from different languages.

But believers who know Christ? We understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them! Those who love God with all their hearts discover that his ways are ways of pleasantness. All his paths are peace. Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses do the saints discover in their Lord, that we would follow him even if the whole world cast out his name as evil. We don't serve him out of custom. We serve him out of love.

Listen: we do not fear God because of any compulsion. Our faith is no fetter. Our profession is no bondage. We are not dragged to holiness, nor driven to duty. No! Our piety is our pleasure. Our hope is our happiness. Our duty is our delight.

Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower. As indivisible as truth and certainty. They are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold.

'Tis when we taste thy love, Our joys divinely grow, Unspeakable like those above, And heaven begins below.