“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come…and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:4–6).   

I first learned the Hebrew word for “delight” through the phrase ONEG SHABBAT (“delight of the Sabbath”), a reference to the community gathering that follows the weekly synagogue service. I was five, and suffering through my cousin Ron’s bar mitzvah, listening to a roomful of men drone on interminably in a language I did not understand. Assured that there would be yummy treats following the lengthy prayers, I was delighted when platters of honey cake and sugar cookies greeted us in the social hall.

This tradition of ONEG SHABBAT is a reference to Isaiah 58:13–14: 

“…if you call the Sabbath a delight…then you will find your joy in the LORD.”

Enduring a boring service on the promise of sweet treats may be a simple lesson in deferred gratification for a five-year-old, but what does “delighting in the Lord” look like when life is not all honey cake and sugar cookies? And what does “finding our joy” look like in the midst of hardship and suffering?

In this week’s passage, we meet the apostle John, now exiled to Patmos—a Roman penal colony on an inhospitable, isolated Greek island. He wasn't enjoying a sweet reward for a lifetime of faithful service in the cause of the gospel. Yet it is precisely in this place of hardship and desolation that John receives, records, and disseminates "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" to remind other suffering believers of the ultimate joy that is reserved for those who delight in the Lord.

This joy may not be experienced in the short term. Still, it is a reward that can be relied upon because of who Jesus is:

He is the faithful witness.

His life and resurrection prove God is trustworthy even when present trials are painful.

He is the firstborn from the dead. 

He assures us that hardship and the grave do not have the final word.

He is the ruler over the kings of the earth. 

No worldly power holds ultimate authority over our lives, nor can they override God’s promises.

So how can we “delight in the Lord” during our own seasons of exile or disappointment? Where do we find the stamina required as we wait for that ultimate joy? By aligning our hearts with all the Lord delights in. Throughout Scripture, God makes clear what brings Him joy: steadfast love, trust, patience, righteousness, generosity, and the surrender of our immediate desires in favor of “Thy Kingdom come.”

Delighting in God isn't an emotion to work up; it’s a daily choice to sustain temporary hardship, trusting in the final victory God promises to his children. It is then that our fleeting desires slowly give way to enduring joy.

Abba, we delight in You. Align our hearts with everything You delight in, so that our desires conform ever more closely to Yours. Teach us to anchor our joy in Who You are, no matter what difficulties face us today. Amen.