FAST 2026 | Delight of the Soul | Pastor Rusty Nelson

• Week 1: Delight – A media and digital fast, removing distractions so we can delight in God

• Week 2: Meditate – A food fast with a strong emphasis on Scripture reading and reflection

• Week 3: Restore – An Isaiah 58 fast, focusing on gospel conversations, serving the poor, and restoring what is broken

Psalm 37:3-5 ESV

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”

Desire – Delight – Discover

Psalm 27:1-7 ESV

1.The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2. When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8. You have said, “Seek my face. ”My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek. ”

• Written in conflict, not comfort

• David’s world was unstable

• David’s heart stayed centered

• Surrounded, betrayed, displaced

• Choosing worship over worry

ONE THING

The louder life gets, the clearer desire must become.

I. DESIRE — The Narrowing of the Heart

“One thing I ask… that will I seek.”

• Desire is choosing the right thing, not more things

• Desire determines pursuit → pursuit determines becoming

• You don’t drift into presence; you decide

• Desire dethrones self and enthrones God

Desire — I turn my face toward Him

II. DELIGHT — Dwelling, Not Visiting

“…to dwell… to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.”

• Delight = habitation, not visitation

• “All the days” = daily abiding, not emergency devotion

• Gaze = linger, behold, remain

• Delight reframes fear; awe restores joy

• Surrounded by enemies, but his eyes stay on God

Delight — I gaze upon His beauty

III. DISCOVER — Revelation From Residence

“…and to inquire in His temple.”

• Discovery is the fruit of desire and delight

• The secret place becomes the strategy room

• Inquiry is relational, not transactional

• God reveals His ways to those who stay close

• Discovery produces clarity → clarity produces confidence

Discover — I learn His ways

THE RHYTHM OF PRESENCE

Desire – Delight – Discover – Desire again

“Discovery pulls us back into deeper desire.”

A PEOPLE OF ONE THING

Psalm 27:13

David endured not because battles ended—but because his heart stayed fixed.

• Safety is not a place; it’s His presence

• Security is not the absence of trouble but the nearness of God

INVITATION

• Single focus

• Renewed desire

• Daily delight

• Fresh discovery