“How do you sense God delighting in you?”

That was the question, and I had no answer.  Somebody asked me that several years ago, and I’ve been pondering it ever since.  How do I experience God delighting in me?

I absolutely know that he does; I’ve confidently taught what Zephaniah 3:17 says:

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.

But I’ve never really experienced that truth.

On a recent morning, sitting in my garden where I start each day in prayer, I was contemplating this again.  As I glanced up, one of the hummingbirds who visits us swooped in to sip from the red salvia flower before me, and my heart leapt with delight. 

It was like Jesus was saying to me, “that – how your heart just leapt with delight at seeing that hummingbird – that is how I feel about you.” 

It was only a moment, but I’m thankful for that glimpse of God’s eternal delight in me, His child. 

How do you sense God delighting in you?