What Pleases God?

 One of the great challenges of Christmas shopping is finding something that will please the person you are gifting (at least for me!).  How much more when the person already HAS everything.  So what would please God?  

First, the amazing thing about God is He is not hard to please, and He has given us some really clear "hints."  We please God by receiving His love and believing what He has done for us.  It pleased the Father to see His Son bruised, because He wanted us to have a way to be cleansed of sin and enjoy the glory of being with Him forever.  Faith pleases God, so it pleases God when we receive His gift.  God delights in mercy (according to Malachi 5:12), and willingly welcomes those who come to Him with a broken and contrite heart.  Nothing pleases God more than believing Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins through His death and resurrection.  And this faith gives us the right to become children of God who are changed by the Spirit of God into new creations.  Therefore, as a new creation we share Jesus' abundant life, and He is pleased to let us enjoy His glory forever.   

It pleases God when we die to our natural fleshy ways and choose to obey the Word of God.  Romans 8 points out that flesh cannot please God.  It is the Spirit that gives life.  We live not by bread but by every Word that  proceeds from the mouth of God. Those who abide in Jesus and let His Word abide in them will please the Father and bear much fruit.  Notice how Jesus declares that whoever loves Him will keep His commandments, with the amazing promise that to him who keeps His Word, Jesus and the Father will come to him and make their home with him.    

One specific request, found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, is that we "give thanks always, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Doing His will pleases God.  Even Psalm 103 tells us to forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit (hell), crowns you with lovingkindness and mercy, and fills your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.  Our natural thinking and feeling may quickly forget how good God is and all He has done for us.  Clearly God loves to give, for it is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32), but He does want us to be like the tenth leper who at least returns to give thanks.  "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" screams Psalm 107 repeatedly. 

Jesus, according to Hebrews 12, willingly submitted to the agony and pain of the cross, "because of the joy set before Him."  Likewise, God promises joy and great blessings if you obey His command to give of yourself.  Freely you have received, freely give.  You can never "out give" God.  One of God's eternal principles is sowing and reaping, give and it will be given.  Notice this principle in these verses.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all else will be added.  It almost seems like God wants to bless us, Isaiah 30:18  states that He "will wait that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you."  When we exalt God by our obeying and giving of ourselves, we allow God to move in our behalf. 

Yet Scripture is honest to point out that "through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God."  Very few people in the Bible have had the difficulties of David, yet He desired only one thing, that He could see the beauty or glory of the Lord.  In God's presence is fullness of joy and strength.  He knew that as He saw God's greatness and kept the commitment that he gives in Psalm 34, "I will bless the Lord at all times," God would fight for Him.  Likewise, Psalm 108 instructs us to give thanks and praise to God, "Be exalted, O God, and Your glory above all the earth."  Honoring God brings us to this psalm's concluding statement of faith, "Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies."  

God promised that we will not lose our reward when we give a glass of water to a child, how much more when we are faithful "in little things" that He gives us to do.  May the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us into all truth so that we imitate the angels who "harken to the voice of His Word" and "do His pleasure." (Psalm 103)