Delighting in God: From Duty to True Rest

Devotional

Day 1: Right Deeds, Wrong Heart: Seeking God for Himself

It is possible to do all the right things—attend church, serve, fast, and pray—yet still miss the heart of God if our motivation is not truly to know and desire Him. The people in Isaiah 58 were diligent in their religious practices, but God saw that their hearts were far from Him; they sought His blessings and approval more than His presence. God is not impressed by outward displays of devotion if they are not matched by an inward longing for Him. He desires that we come to Him not just to check spiritual boxes, but to genuinely seek His face and delight in who He is. [21:23]

Isaiah 58:2-5 (ESV)
"Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?"

Reflection: In what area of your spiritual life are you most tempted to focus on outward performance rather than truly seeking God’s presence and heart? How can you shift your motivation today?

Day 2: Freedom, Not Bondage: God’s True Desire for Us

God’s desire is not for us to be weighed down by religious obligations or self-imposed burdens, but to experience freedom and rest in Him. When we turn our faith into a checklist of duties, we add unnecessary yokes to our lives that God never intended us to carry. Instead, God calls us to a fast and a life that loosens the bonds of wickedness, sets the oppressed free, and overflows in compassion for others. True spiritual freedom comes when we let go of striving and rest in the freedom Christ has already won for us, allowing our love for God to overflow in love for others. [28:16]

Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV)
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”

Reflection: What burdens or expectations have you added to your life that God never asked you to carry? What would it look like to lay them down and embrace the freedom He offers?

Day 3: Delighting in the Lord: The Source of True Satisfaction

Delight in the Lord is not about using God to get what we want, but about finding our deepest joy and satisfaction in Him alone. When we turn from seeking our own pleasure and instead honor God’s ways, He promises to satisfy us in ways the world never can. The invitation is to call the Sabbath a delight, to rest in God’s presence, and to let Him become the desire of our hearts. When we truly delight in the Lord, our desires are transformed, and He fills us with His joy, peace, and purpose. [33:27]

Isaiah 58:13-14 (ESV)
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can intentionally delight in the Lord today, setting aside your own agenda to rest in His presence?

Day 4: Resting in God’s Faithfulness, Not Anxious Toil

God invites us to trust Him with our work, our families, and our futures, reminding us that all our striving is in vain unless He is the one building and sustaining our lives. When we feed on His faithfulness and commit our ways to Him, He promises to act on our behalf and give us rest. Instead of anxiously toiling to secure our own outcomes, we are called to be still before the Lord, trusting that He is faithful and will provide what we truly need. [38:36]

Psalm 127:1-2 (ESV)
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

Reflection: Where in your life are you relying on your own effort instead of trusting God to provide? How can you practice resting in His faithfulness today?

Day 5: Taking Up Christ’s Yoke: Finding Rest for Your Soul

Jesus offers a different kind of yoke—one that is easy and light, bringing true rest to our souls. He does not call us to lay aside all responsibility, but to exchange our self-imposed burdens for His gentle leadership. When we come to Him weary and heavy-laden, He invites us to learn from Him and find rest, not by doing more, but by walking closely with Him. The freedom and rest we long for are found in Christ alone, who has already accomplished all that is needed for our salvation and peace. [39:24]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Reflection: What is one burden you are carrying today that you need to surrender to Jesus? How can you intentionally take up His yoke and learn from Him in this area?

Sermon Summary

In Isaiah 58, God confronts His people with a sobering truth: it is possible to do all the right things outwardly—fasting, seeking, serving—while missing the very heart of what He desires. The people of Israel were diligent in their religious practices, yet God was distant, and their lives felt dry and unsatisfied. The problem was not their lack of activity, but the posture of their hearts. They were seeking God’s blessings and approval, but not God Himself. Their devotion had become a checklist, a means to an end, rather than a genuine pursuit of the Lord.

This is a temptation that remains for us today. We can fill our lives with good things—serving, giving, attending church, even leading ministries—yet still be motivated by fear, anxiety, or a desire for approval rather than a true delight in God. Like a child who stuffs clutter under the bed to make a room appear clean, we can mask the unrest in our souls with busyness and outward obedience. But God sees beyond appearances. He desires that we come to Him not just with our actions, but with our hearts.

God’s call in Isaiah 58 is not for more religious activity, but for a fast that leads to freedom, compassion, and justice—a life that overflows from a heart satisfied in Him. The promise is that when we turn from self-driven striving and instead delight in the Lord, He will satisfy us in scorched places, make us like a well-watered garden, and guide us continually. True rest is not found in doing more, but in receiving from Christ, taking up His easy yoke, and learning to desire Him above all else.

The parable of the young man with the wagon of stones illustrates how easily we take on burdens God never intended for us. We add to our load, striving to please others or ourselves, and end up exhausted and frustrated. But Jesus invites us to lay down every burden but His, to find rest for our souls in Him. The invitation is to trade what is good for what is best: a life rooted in desire for God, not just duty for God. In Christ, we find the freedom, rest, and delight our hearts truly long for.

Key Takeaways

1. Right Deeds with the Wrong Heart Lead to Emptiness It is possible to be diligent in spiritual practices and still miss the heart of God. When our motivation is to check boxes or earn favor, rather than to know and delight in God Himself, our souls remain unsatisfied and God seems distant. True spiritual vitality flows from a heart that desires God, not just His blessings. [20:06]
2. God’s Freedom Replaces Self-Imposed Burdens When we turn religious practices into obligations or means of self-justification, we add unnecessary yokes to our lives. God’s desire is to loose the bonds of wickedness and set us free, so that our lives overflow with compassion and generosity. The fast God chooses is one that liberates us and others, not one that weighs us down. [26:07]
3. Delight in the Lord Transforms Our Desires Delighting in God is not a strategy to get what we want, but a transformation of what we want. As we turn from seeking our own pleasure and instead find our joy in the Lord, He shapes our desires to align with His. The promise is not just blessing, but a new heart that truly longs for Him above all else. [33:27]
4. Rest Is Found in Receiving, Not Just Doing Jesus invites us to take up His yoke, which is easy and light, and to find rest for our souls. This rest is not the absence of activity, but the presence of Christ at the center of all we do. Sabbath is not about doing nothing, but about intentionally trading lesser pursuits for the best pursuit: knowing and enjoying God. [39:24]
5. Carry Only What God Has Given You Like the young man in the parable, we often become burdened by taking on responsibilities and expectations that God never asked us to carry. True freedom and rest come when we discern what God has actually called us to, and refuse to let others—or ourselves—add to that load. In Christ, we are invited to lay down every burden but His, and to find joy in faithful obedience to Him alone.

** [43:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:43] - The Importance of Receiving from God
[07:58] - A Healthy Church Is Not Built on One Person
[09:19] - Introduction to Isaiah 58
[11:03] - The Problem of Outward Religion
[16:55] - The Diagnosis: Seeking Satisfaction Apart from God
[20:06] - Right Deeds, Wrong Heart
[21:23] - Legalism and Box-Checking
[24:06] - What God Really Wants
[26:07] - The Fast That Sets Free
[28:16] - Israel’s History of Missing God’s Heart
[30:48] - Fear vs. Faithfulness
[33:27] - The Call to Delight in the Lord
[36:08] - Feeding on Faithfulness, Not Fishing for Favor
[39:24] - Jesus’ Invitation to Rest
[40:44] - The Parable of the Wagon of Stones
[43:52] - Carrying Only God’s Burden
[44:48] - Returning to the Gospel and True Rest

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Isaiah 58:1-14 — - Psalm 37:3-7
- Matthew 11:28-30

Observation Questions

In Isaiah 58, what specific actions were the people of Israel doing that made them appear devoted to God? ([11:03])
According to Isaiah 58:6-7, what kind of “fast” does God actually desire from His people?
In Psalm 37:4, what does the psalmist say will happen when someone delights in the Lord?
In Matthew 11:28-30, what does Jesus promise to those who are weary and burdened?

Interpretation Questions

Why does God say that the people’s religious practices (like fasting) are not enough, even though they are doing them regularly? What is missing from their devotion? ([20:06])
How does the “yoke” described in Isaiah 58 and Matthew 11 differ from the burdens the people were carrying? What does it mean for God’s yoke to be “easy and light”? ([39:24])
The sermon compared outward obedience to a child stuffing clutter under the bed to make a room look clean. What does this illustration reveal about the difference between external actions and the true state of the heart? ([16:55])
According to Psalm 37 and Isaiah 58, how does delighting in the Lord change what we desire and how we live? ([33:27])

Application Questions

The sermon warned about turning spiritual practices into a checklist or a way to earn God’s favor. Are there any areas in your life where you find yourself “checking boxes” for God rather than truly seeking Him? What would it look like to shift your motivation? ([21:23])
The parable of the young man with the wagon of stones showed how we often take on burdens God never asked us to carry. What are some “extra rocks” (expectations, responsibilities, or pressures) you might be carrying that God hasn’t given you? How can you begin to lay them down? ([43:52])
Isaiah 58 describes a fast that leads to compassion, justice, and generosity. In what practical ways could you “loose the bonds of wickedness” or “share your bread with the hungry” in your own context this month? ([26:07])
Jesus invites us to take up His yoke and find rest. What does “rest” look like for you right now? Is there a specific step you can take this week to receive from Christ instead of just doing for Christ? ([39:24])
The sermon mentioned that true delight in God transforms our desires, not just our actions. Is there an area of your life where you need God to change what you want, not just what you do? How can you pray for that transformation? ([33:27])
Sabbath was described as intentionally trading what is good for what is best. What is one “good” thing you might need to set aside in order to pursue what is “best” in your relationship with God? ([44:48])
The pastor shared about the temptation to serve out of fear, anxiety, or a desire for approval. When you think about your own service (at church, at home, at work), what most often motivates you? How can you move toward serving out of delight in God instead? ([30:48])

Sermon Clips

Set aside time where you are receiving from God and not simply doing for God. Because I'm a doer, and it's really, really easy for me to become so fixated on everything I can do for God that I fail in my own personal life to sit with God and receive from Him.

It's really important that you all see firsthand that the success of a healthy church is not dependent on one guy. It's not dependent on me being here and doing this all the time, but rather it's dependent on our leaders as a whole continuing to faithfully carry out the ministry of the Word. [00:07:02]

A healthy church community looks like one that's not dependent on one person who is the somehow the earthly replacement of Christ, but rather it's a group of people that say Christ is the head of the church. And so whoever's teaching, whoever's leading, what we're concerned about is that they exemplify Christ in what they do. [00:08:09]

What I find in my own life and what I find as I talk with many others is that we feel like our lives look very similar to that situation where people can see we've made it look good but behind the scenes in the recesses of my heart I'm miserable usually because there's stuff I haven't dealt with. [00:16:35]

Could it be today that we are trying to find our delight in anything but the Lord? Could it be that we're trying to find contentment and satisfaction, hope and life in anything but the Lord? [00:18:03]

Why does it seem that the more they're doing, the more distant God is? They even ask for righteous judgment. They delight to draw near to God. On the surface, a relatable section for some of us, and maybe we resonate with these words. I'm trying, Lord. Give me a break. Why does it seem, Lord, that the more I do for you, the worse things seem to get for me? [00:19:51]

As we consider this, and we consider the diagnosis in Isaiah 58, it was the right deeds and the wrong heart. Right deeds, wrong heart. You seek me daily. They seek the Lord daily. They delight to know my ways. They want righteous judgment. And yet, look at how the Lord describes and answers their question of where are you. [00:20:43]

The problem is, with this list of expectations, the people got really, really good at checking the boxes on the things they were supposed to do without actually desiring the God who gave them the instructions to begin with. [00:21:55]

They may desire to know God's ways, but they are not in their hearts desiring to know God. They want all the benefits that God has to offer without actually wanting him at all. [00:22:32]

We can easily convince ourselves that what God really wants is for us to check the box when in reality God really wants us to desire him. Right deeds, wrong heart. [00:29:50]

Delight in the Lord looks like desire for the Lord and rest in the Lord. [00:30:36]

If the Lord has promised to satisfy our desires, if the Lord has promised to make us like a spring of water whose waters do not fail, then why is that the case for our lives so often? Why so frequently are we just feeling like we're trying to survive? [00:31:54]

I'm convinced that oftentimes our doing what we do is often motivated by fear rather than by faithfulness. [00:32:20]

Are we afraid of what will happen if Christ returns and finds us doing a lot of good things without desiring Him? [00:32:59]

You and I can come to church and serve the Lord for all the wrong reasons. I can stand up here and teach God's Word to you, open the Bible in a Sunday school class, sit with people in my office and encourage them in Christ for the wrong reasons. [00:34:46]

It's really easy for me to become way more focused on what I can get from God or what I can do for God than me simply delighting in God. [00:35:08]

The quality of our impact will forever be changed if we are motivated simply because we desire God, not His benefits. [00:35:24]

Are we feeding on faithfulness or are we fishing for favor? In other words, are we fishing for God to approve of us? Are we fishing for other people to see how spiritual we are? Or are we feeding on the faithfulness of a God who has given us life? [00:36:23]

If you delight yourself in the Lord, He's going to give you prosperous earthly blessing. And yet when we pair this with Isaiah 58, what do we find out? Actually, when you turn away from doing your own pleasure and doing the things that you think God wants you to do because you think it will benefit you, then your delight will be in the Lord. [00:37:06]

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go to late rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for He gives to His beloved sleep. [00:38:28]

We'll get burnt out, frustrated, and even angry if we let our own or other people put their rocks in our wagon. We need to make sure that we are only carrying the stones faithfully that God has given us. [00:43:52]

Delight in the Lord looks like desire for the Lord and rest in the Lord. If in evaluation of what we have been talking about, I discover that I do not desire the Lord, then I must return to the gospel. Desire for the Lord always starts with Christ. [00:44:26]

We cannot make it to God on our own. We cannot do this, navigate through the tumultuous seasons of life on our own. And God knew that and provided a way for us not only to be with him for eternity, but to have confidence in the days we're in today. [00:45:02]

It's through Christ who says, take my yoke upon you because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Freedom, the unstrapping of the yoke, the ridding of the burden that God desires for your life is found in Christ. [00:45:20]

My challenge to you and my challenge to myself is that we would be a people that don't desire to do things for God but a people who desire God himself and that in our desire for God it would motivate us to live for him with anticipation and joy because of what he's already done. [00:46:01]

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