Edmund Pevensie is my favorite character in C.S Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Edmund doesn’t believe in Narnia until he sees it; when he gets there, he sides with the enemy by falling prey to temptation. Edmund is lured in by the White Witch with his favorite treats, Turkish Delights. While indulging, Edmund betrays Aslan and his siblings, but he is forgiven by Aslan when he enters Aslan’s camp. Aslan tells Edmund’s siblings, “Here is your brother…and there is no need to talk to him about what is past.” Edmund receives forgiveness and lives to fight for Aslan henceforth. We can be as easily lured by temptation as Edmund was, especially in stressful times such as the ones in which we live. We look for escapes from the harsh realities of life and we often find them in things or entertainment. If we are not careful, we can easily hitch our own delights to the things of this world.
“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” (Psalm 37:4)
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
There is a cyclical nature to delight when our delight is in the Lord. Pslam 37:4 tells us to take delight in the Lord and Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that the Lord takes delight in us. This delight is central to our relationship with God. Is your delight in the Lord or have you placed it in the things of earth? But what if your joy or delight isn’t in the Lord? Jesus provided an easy solution.
“You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” (John 16:24)
Don’t have your joy in the Lord? Ask Him for it! It’s okay. Ask for joy from the Lord and He will give it! It will take intentional work, but you can begin to shift your delights from the things of earth to the things of heaven. Don’t get drawn in by the delights of this world, but focus on things that are unseen; focus on the Lord and ask Him for the joy that can only come from Him.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.