The Light in DeLIGHT - #258

Every time you read your Bible “you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19)

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

Psalm 119:105 declares that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In Proverbs 6:23 Solomon writes that Scripture is a lamp and a light. And the Psalmist prays in Psalm 43:3 asking God to send out His light and His truth so that it leads him to the presence of God. In short – Every time you read your Bible “you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19)

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity and godliness. I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #258 entitled “The Light in Delight.” 

In Psalm 1:2 David says that the person who experiences real happiness is the one “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night”. Think about that. Oh to experience true happiness, real contentment, a life that’s blessed by God! It all begins with how you feel about God’s word. And the key word here isn’t when you appreciate it. It’s not if you respect or even highly value it. It comes only when you daily choose to delight in it.

Now what does that mean? When you delight in something you are choosing to take great pleasure in it. You desire it and long for it. You think about it when you’re not around it. It pulls at your heart and fills your thinking.

Let me illustrate it this way. Back in college, when my wife and I were dating, I couldn’t get her off my mind. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to know her. When we were apart, I felt it. I couldn’t wait for classes to end so I could be with her. Long walks just talking felt like heaven. I hung on every word she said. I genuinely delighted in her.

And here’s the amazing part — nearly 46 years later, that hasn’t changed. When we’re apart, I still feel it. When my phone dings and it’s a text from her, my heart still jumps with excitement. I look forward to sitting at the dinner table and hearing about her day. I’m still learning new things about her. And the more I learn, the more I want to know. I am truly humbled to say I still delight in my wife.

In a way, that’s what Psalm 1 is talking about. Delighting in God’s Word means you don’t just read it because you’re supposed to. You don’t just check a box. You long for it. You look forward to it. You think about it during the day. You want to hear what God has to say. You hang on His words. The more you get to know Him through Scripture, the more you want to know Him. And the more you know Him, the more your heart is drawn to Him.

That’s where real happiness comes from. Not from circumstances. Not from achievements. Not from comfort. But from a growing, deepening love for God and His Word. When you delight in Him like that, meditation isn’t a chore. Obedience isn’t a burden. It becomes a joy. And that, my friends, is what it means to be truly blessed.

The psalmist says, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands” (Psalm 112:1). Don’t miss that connection. If you really want God’s blessing on your life—not just in a surface way, but deep down where it counts—choose to delight in His Word.

And this isn’t a one-time statement. Over and over again in Psalm 119, David keeps coming back to the same theme: “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight… I delight in your commands because I love them… if your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:35, 47, 92). He’s basically saying, “God, Your Word is what keeps me alive. It’s what holds me together. It’s what carries me through.” 

And I can tell you—that’s not just poetry. That’s real. There was a season in my life when I chose to turn my back on God. I chased the pleasures of sin while convincing myself I could manage things on my own. I didn’t want to hear from God. I didn’t want His direction. And that path nearly cost me everything—my family, my ministry, even my life.

During that dark season, my wife and I met with several “Christian” counselors, but nothing really broke through. Nothing seemed to get to the root. That is, until we started meeting with a godly couple from our church who eventually became dear friends.

And you know what they did? They took us straight into the Word of God. Week after week, we opened the Scriptures together and asked, “What does God say about this? We were given Bible passages to read, verses to memorize, truth to meditate on. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t complicated. It was just the Word of God.

And something began to happen in me. The Holy Spirit stirred up a hunger I hadn’t felt in years. I started craving time in the Bible. I wasn’t reading it because I had to—I was reading it because I needed it. I began finding verse after verse that spoke directly to the broken places in my heart. I memorized them. I prayed through them. I started looking forward to time alone with God, talking through what He was teaching me.

That’s when Psalm 119 became intimately real to me. If God’s Word had not become my delight during that affliction, I truly believe I would have perished. And here’s the beautiful part: that hunger hasn’t gone away. Even today, I’m excited about the Word of God. If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you probably already know—this is what I love to talk about. God’s truth. His promises. His principles. I get fired up when the Holy Spirit connects passages together and opens my eyes to something new. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, digging deeper, hiding His Word in my heart—that’s not a duty for me. It’s a joy.

And honestly, I believe that’s what it means to delight in God’s Word. It’s not just agreeing that it’s important. It’s loving it. Depending on it. Running to it when life falls apart. Longing for it even when life is good.

That’s where blessing is found. Not in perfect circumstances. Not in having everything go your way. But in loving the voice of your Father so much that His Word becomes your steady anchor—no matter what season you’re in.

Let me just be really honest with you. It wasn’t until I started truly digging into God’s Word—studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it—that real change began to happen in my life. Not a surface change. Not behavior modification. Real, heart-level life-altering transformation.

And here’s the thing: that required action. No one could do it for me. My wife couldn’t. A counselor couldn’t. A pastor couldn’t. It was personal. It still is. I had to choose daily to open the Bible. I had to choose to wrestle with it. I had to make the hard choice to sit with it when it confronted me. I had to choose to memorize verses that exposed my sin and reminded me of God’s promises. And I had to choose obedience when it would’ve been easier to go back to old patterns.

Everything we do through The Pure Man Ministry flows out of that journey. These podcasts, the books, the counseling—none of it is just content to produce or material to teach. This isn’t theory for me. I believe this with every part of who I am, because I’ve lived it.

When the psalmist says, “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92), I understand that. That’s not dramatic language. That’s reality. If I hadn’t begun studying, memorizing, meditating on, and striving to obey God’s Word—and if I don’t continue doing that even now—I would still be trapped. I’d still be stuck in the same cycles of sin. I would be perishing in my affliction.

Delighting in God’s Word isn’t passive. It means you invest time in it. You prioritize it. You memorize it so it’s with you when temptation hits. You meditate on it so it shapes how you think. And then you obey it—even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

And here’s the promise: when you live that way, you begin to experience peace and direction even in the middle of your biggest conflicts. Not because life gets easy, but because you’re anchored in truth. That’s not my promise—that’s God’s.

We need to be able to say what Job said in the Book of Job: “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12). Think about that. Treasured more than food. More than what keeps you physically alive.

And then Jeremiah says in the Book of Jeremiah, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16). That’s hunger. That’s passion. That’s love for God’s voice.

So let me leave you with this question. Can you honestly say what Paul said in the Book of Romans: “In my inner being I delight in God’s law” (Romans 7:22)? Not just publicly. Not just in church. But in your inner being.

Because when that becomes true of you—when you truly delight in God’s Word—that’s when transformation happens. That’s when freedom becomes real. And that’s when your life begins to reflect the heart of the God you love.

Alright friends, I’m going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode. But before we go, I want to make sure you know there’s plenty more you can dive into if today’s study sparked something in you. If you want to dig deeper, or if you’re curious about what we do through The Pure Man Ministry—helping men all over the world find freedom and victory over sexual sin—you can check out our website at ThePurityCoach.com. We’ve got a ton of resources waiting for you there.

Before we wrap up, I want to highlight one resource that I really believe can make a huge difference in your life. It’s the newly updated second edition of my book, “Extreme Mind Makeover: How to transform sinful thoughts and habits into patterns of life pleasing to God.”

This isn’t just a light refresh. This second edition is packed with hundreds of Scripture references, tons of practical illustrations, and now each chapter ends with a study guide full of questions and discussion points. So whether you’re using it for personal growth, a small group, or accountability with a friend, it’s designed to help you go deeper.

The whole heart behind “Extreme Mind Makeover”  is this: your thought life matters more than you realize. The book walks you through Scripture to see what God says about how your thoughts shape your words, your actions, and ultimately your heart.

If you’ve been listening to the Point of Purity Podcast for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard me say this again and again: what you think eventually becomes what you do. Train your mind to think godly thoughts, and over time your daily words and actions will reflect that. But let your mind drift toward sinful, self-centered, “King Me” thinking, and it will show up in your attitudes, your habits, and your choices.

So the real questions become: How do I change the way I think? How do I break sinful patterns? How do I guard my heart in a world that constantly pulls it in the wrong direction?

That’s exactly what “Extreme Mind Makeover” is all about. It takes you straight into God’s Word to help you answer those questions in a practical, biblical way. This isn’t behavior management—it’s heart transformation. It’s about allowing God to reshape the way you think so that your life begins to reflect Him more and more.

So I’d encourage you to head over to Amazon.com and pick up your copy of “Extreme Mind Makeover: How to transform sinful thoughts and habits into patterns of life pleasing to God.” Or you can simply search my name, Steve Etner,, and check out any of the other books the Lord has allowed me to write.

If you’re serious about changing your thought life, guarding your heart, and walking in real freedom, this is a great next step.

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes! So, until next time this is Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry – reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.