Finding Joy in Hard Seasons: What It Means to Truly Delight in God with Elle Cardel | E64
Elle Cardel is first and foremost a sinner saved by grace. She lives in middle Tennessee with her college sweetheart, Michael, and their two lovely children, Selah and Aidan. Elle loves being a mama, nerding out over strategy board games with Michael, catching up over coffee with friends (all the lavender lattes, please!), making meals from scratch, and writing on the truths of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Elle holds a bachelor's degree in biblical theology and is the founder of the global online women's ministry Daughter of Delight, a growing community of 175,000 plus women of faith. Elle is a firm believer that, in order to truly know God, we must know His Word. She is deeply passionate about equipping everyday women of faith with the tools to be faithful stewards of Bible literacy. She lives on a mission to help others learn and love Scripture via the Daughter of Delight podcast, daily devotionals woven around the Word, and free biblical resources, all of which you can find at her website, daughterofdelight.com. You can connect with Elle on her website or Instagram.
Connect with Elle:
Follow Elle on Instagram: @elle_cardel + @daughterofdelight
Author's Links: Website | Podcast | Facebook | IG
In this powerful episode, Courtney sits down with Elle Cardel—author, Bible teacher, and founder of the women’s ministry Daughter of Delight—for a heartfelt conversation about learning to truly delight in the Lord through every season of life.
Elle shares her incredible journey of launching her online ministry, navigating her daughter’s life-threatening heart condition, and how God met her in moments of suffering with unexpected joy. You’ll hear practical encouragement for growing in prayer, reading your Bible with confidence, and letting go of perfection in your walk with God.
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Order Elle’s new book + Bible study here:
What you can learn in today’s episode:
Elle’s new book She Delights and companion Bible study (launching April 22!)
What it really means to be “bold and beheld” as a daughter of the King
Why nothing satisfies our soul like God does—and how to stop striving and start resting in His delight
Whether you’re in a valley, on a mountaintop, or somewhere in between, this episode will remind you that God delights in you and wants you to delight in Him.
Episode Blog:
A Call to Bold and Beheld Faith
Elle opens up about a word God placed on her heart for 2025: “bold and beheld.” It’s a reminder that we are not called to live pleasing people, but to steward the gifts He has entrusted to us. Whether you're just beginning your faith journey or wrestling with a long-held calling, Elle encourages us to look inward and upward, not outward.
"God isn’t asking you to be perfect, He’s asking you to show up."
The Story Behind She Delights
The book didn’t come easily or quickly. Publishers reached out before Elle even considered pitching, but God clearly said, “Not yet.” That “not yet” turned into a season of intense suffering when Elle's daughter was born with multiple congenital heart defects. Yet through hospital stays, surgeries, and postpartum exhaustion, Elle met God in a deeper way.
In those raw moments alone in a hospital pump room, music on, tears falling, Elle learned what it meant to delight in God in the valley. That chapter became the missing piece for She Delights, a book about cultivating joy not just on the mountaintops but also in the trenches.
What It Means to Delight in God
Elle shares how her understanding of verses like Psalm 37:4 has shifted over time. It’s not about delighting to get what we want, but delighting in the Lord as the true source of joy and satisfaction. She also reminds us that God's delight in us is unshakable. Just as a parent delights in a child, God delights in His children through Christ.
“We’re never forgotten, never unloved, never unseen.”
Returning to the Word
Elle’s passion for Bible literacy shines throughout this conversation. She reminds us that we can’t know God deeply apart from His Word. She challenges listeners to move beyond Sunday morning sermons and Instagram reels, and instead root themselves in Scripture, even when the motivation isn’t there.
She also acknowledges that distractions are real and so is the enemy’s attempt to keep us “too busy” for God. From evaluating the things pulling at your time to replacing mindless scrolling with intentional prayer, Elle offers practical ways to refocus your heart.
Prayer as a Lifeline
Prayer doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be real. Elle shares how she prays throughout her day: while folding laundry, nursing her baby, or driving. Breath prayers and short moments of surrender have become rhythms of connection with God.
Final Encouragement
Elle reminds us that God is already at work—we’re not “letting” Him move. Our job is to surrender, to trust, and to say, “Lord, have Your way.”
“God isn’t waiting on our permission. He’s waiting on our surrender.”
Subscribe to the show wherever you listen! Connect with me on Instagram at @courthopejones.
