I delight greatly in the LORD;
Isaiah 61:10 NIV
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
What makes you happy or causes you to rejoice? There have been several significant events in my life that produced rejoicing. Being wedded to my wife is up near the top of the list. As well as the birth of my children and grandchildren. Other milestone events also have a special place. Completing the Pacific Crest Trail, retirement, and a vacation to Australia are all memorable. But the most significant happened one stormy evening in late August of 1971.
On that evening, I surrendered my life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And the course of my life was dramatically altered. He clothed me with garments of salvation and a robe of His righteousness. I was a new person. My desires and the plans I had for my life were dramatically altered. I was not who I had been. While my experience was nowhere near as dramatic as the apostle Paul’s, it was just as real and life-changing.
Life since then has not been without its bumps in the road. But that road has led me ever closer to my Lord. Now, over 50 years later, I still find delight in knowing my Lord and God. And I rejoice in what He has done, is doing, and will yet do in my life. My soul does indeed rejoice in my God!
