Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul's Longing for God

by Stephanie Rousselle

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."—Psalm 37:4 What if you've lost your delight in God? Or you've never really experienced it in the first place? What if a season of suffering has snuffed out your joy, leaving you spiritually discouraged and emotionally numb? Delighting in God changes how you experience your faith, relationships, and circumstances—and even how you see yourself. You can experience Psalm 37:4 as your daily reality. In Awaken Delight, Stephanie Rousselle connects scriptural and theological truth to your everyday life so you can experience what delighting in God really means. It's not about checking boxes on a spiritual to-do list or mustering a constant state of positive feelings. Rather, delight is about satisfying your soul's deepest longing through a vibrant relationship with the living God. In Awaken Delight, Stephanie Rousselle shows how delighting in God is crucial for spiritual growth, provides spiritual habits that help you live in delight, and includes discussion questions and Bible engagement great for book clubs or small groups. By looking to Christ as your model of divine delight, you can discover that no matter what you're experiencing—whether weariness, sorrow, hope, or happiness—you truly can "taste and see that the Lord is good." If you are longing for a revived faith filled with hope, delight, worth, and grace, Awaken Delight invites you to cultivate a worshipful, life-giving delight in God that's rooted in God's delight in you.

Genres: Christian Living, Christian, Christian Non Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Stephanie Rousselle is the founder of Gospel Spice Ministries and a Bible teacher devoted to uniting theological depth with lived delight. She writes and speaks at the intersection of doctrine and joy, convinced that right belief about God fuels lasting satisfaction in Him.

Born and raised in France and now living in the United States, Stéphanie brings a cross-cultural and linguistic lens to Scripture. Drawing from the nuances of French and English language and thought, she invites readers to encounter the New Testament with fresh clarity and affection for Christ. Her work reflects a distinctly French attentiveness to beauty, precision, and interior transformation — all grounded in historic Christian theology.

Her message centers on a gospel foundation: God’s delight in His children rests not on performance, but on Christ. Through her podcast, writing, and public teaching, she calls believers to move beyond spiritual striving and into the steady joy of knowing God.

Awaken Delight, published by IVP, embodies her lifelong passion expressed in Philippians 3:10 — to know Christ in both the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I have long loved all things French, I was eager to read this book by a French author. I truly enjoyed the rich metaphors carried throughout the book, as well as the word studies in French and Hebrew. This book inspired new joy for me. It has a truly uplifting tone while remaining fully committed to sharing biblical truth.
I received a preview copy from NetGalley.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this audiobook read by the author was truly delightful. Stephanie possesses an enthusiastic love of the Lord, and it was very encouraging to hear her words. This book is a blessing, and I’m very glad that I read it.

I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Book Bench · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burnout shows up a lot in faith conversations and the book offers a gentle counterpoint. It reframes joy in God as an identity rather than a fleeting feeling. The spiritual habits and discussion questions make it a solid pick for small groups.

[Eursella Hayes-Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awaken Delight by Stephanie Rousselle was a beautiful reminder to slow down and truly enjoy God. I appreciated how the book encourages us to move beyond simply going through the motions of faith and instead be intentional about noticing God in the everyday moments.

This wasn’t a book I rushed through. There were several moments that made me stop, reflect, and think about my own relationship with God. While a few parts didn’t connect with me as strongly, the overall message was encouraging and timely.

A thoughtful read about finding joy, wonder, and a deeper connection with God.

#AwakenDelight #StephanieRousselle #ChristianReads #BookReview #FaithReads

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat lyrical and poetic celebration of God's loveliness whilst also giving applicable steps to follow in order to go about delighting in God.

It does take quite some time to get to the practical easy to apply aspects at the beginning but stay with it. It gets there.

The book is written in chapters that are broken down further into smaller digestible sections in each chapter, so that you can do it little by little every day or so. This way too much information is not coming at you in one reading and is therefore not overwhelming.

The author does a great job at narrating the book. She has a lovely soothing voice that not only makes you feel welcome to learn from her but that also puts the mind and heart at ease.

Chapter 3 was beautiful. It particularly stood out to me. Made me experience a deeper transforming reflection about being loved by God. After personally experiencing a long painful demanding wilderness season it was pleasant to be re-pointed to this truth. Made me feel precious and cared for. As a seasoned Christian it is important for me to find devotions that continually refresh. Loved that.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a refreshing invitation to slow down and rediscover the joy of simply being with God. Awaken Delight goes beyond telling us that we should delight in the Lord—it gently and biblically shows us what that looks like in everyday life. Stephanie Rousselle beautifully reminds readers that delight isn't something we have to manufacture or earn through spiritual performance. It flows from knowing that we are already loved and delighted in by God.

I especially appreciated how the book speaks honestly to seasons of weariness, suffering, and spiritual numbness. Rather than offering shallow encouragement, it points readers back to Christ and offers practical, grace-filled ways to cultivate a deeper relationship with Him. The discussion questions and spiritual practices make it a wonderful resource for both personal study and small groups.

If you've ever felt distant from God, struggled to find joy in your faith, or simply longed for more of Him, Awaken Delight is a beautiful reminder that God invites us not just to serve Him, but to delight in Him—and to rest in the truth that He delights in us. It's a hope-filled and life-giving read that I highly recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul's Longing for God Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul's Longing for God

I really enjoyed this book.

The book is filled with tips on how to live in delight of God every day.

Stephanie is a talented writer, and really gives a good picture of the topic of delight when comparing to God's love.

I would definitely read more books by Stephanie, as I was really impressed by this book.

Lots of references to scripture throughout the book as well, which I appreciated!

Definitely recommend checking this book out, for solo reading or as part of a small group Bible study. A great book for your spiritual growth.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

4.4/5

[Brenda Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Stephanie a while back on a podcast and was intrigued, so I preordered her book on audio. I was not disappointed! I found Awaken Delight so encouraging and full of wisdom. Delight in God transforms our will to His and changes us from the inside out. The book had so much to cause me to stop and ponder, that I ended up buying the physical copy so I could underline and revisit parts that were particularly impactful. I ended up enjoying it so much, I plan to get a bunch for Christmas presents and hope we can use it for a ladies’ book study at church.

[James Last · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awaken Delight was an encouraging reminder for me to slow down and rediscover authentic joy in God's presence. Writing like a friend sitting across from you, Stephanie is candid about her own seasons of spiritual burnout. That kind of vulnerability made her insights feel deeply earned and personal rather than preachy.

She nicely connects biblical truth to everyday life, which provided me with tangible ways to shift my focus back toward wonder and gratitude. I highly recommend!

[Janet McHenry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awaken Delight is a beautiful invitation to move beyond simply knowing about God to experiencing the joy of knowing Him deeply. Stephanie Rousselle writes with warmth, wisdom, and spiritual insight, encouraging readers to recognize God’s presence, delight in His goodness, and discover how He alone satisfies our deepest longings.

[Lianna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ // A heartfelt book from a woman clearly delighted in the Lord. The author covers familiar ground, from the life of Christ to the spiritual disciplines, from abiding in Christ to showing hospitality. It’s a lovely introduction to the Christian life and especially well suited for the thirsty new believer.