God's pleasure Archives - Pastor Terry Lema's Daily Devotions

I learned many years ago that God’s love for us never changes. We do not have enough power or might to influence God’s eternal, everlasting, perfectly holy love. That is one of the most beautiful lessons I ever learned at the feet of Pastor Jim Gardiner. (After all, if we could change God’s love by our actions, His love would not be perfectly holy and He would cease to be the perfectly holy God.)

But I also learned that we are able to please God or displease Him. When our actions bring reproach to our Father God, He will chastise us because He loves us. So often we focus on this part of being a child of God … the discipline.

Today, however, I want to focus on the other side of that pleasure/displeasure principle. When our actions bring honor to our Father God, He delights in us.

“Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love.” [Micah 7:18 HCSB]

God delights in, has pleasure with those who faithfully love Him. Think about that for a minute. Do you realize that is the same thing that Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah and which was applied to Jesus?

“Here is My Servant whom I have chosen, My beloved in whom My soul delights; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.” [Matthew 12:18, Isaiah 42 HCSB]

God delighted in His Son. God delights in all those who exhibit faithful love for Him. I do not know what that stirs in your heart. I know what it stirs in mine. I long to have God’s pleasure with me. I want to do things which make His soul delight in me. I want to sense that joy every day. To have it, I realize, I must become more like His Son Jesus. Grant that, O LORD. Amen.

I think I have come to the end of the “let us” devotions, at least for present. It is one that I consider the most vital of all. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” [Heb 13:15-16]

The cross of our LORD Christ Jesus reaches two ways, it reaches up and it reaches out. The writer to Hebrews reminds us of that. He reminds us that our Christian duty is to both God and to people.

We are to remember to do good and to share with whom we walk through this life. We share our lives with others, our encouragement, our finances when we can, our time (the most precious of all our commodities), our love. It is our responsibility and our privilege to also share the Gospel with those who do not yet know Christ.

Perhaps as great a responsibility and privilege – and one that is sometimes harder during difficult times in life — is that we are to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”

Interesting that the author calls praise a sacrifice. When things are difficult, circumstances dire, or problems arise, praising God is a sacrifice. It is our offering to Him remembering all He has done for us. Difficulties, circumstances, and problems are not eternal (they only seem that way). One day they will be gone, and we will be with the LORD where nothing like that will ever arise again.

Beloved, we cannot wait until we get in His presence to praise Him, we need to do it now amid the trying times. Offering a sacrifice of praise takes our focus off the problems and puts it on the King of kings. It demonstrates to God and this world that we are a people who trust in the LORD not just when it is easy, but when it is most difficult.

If you genuinely want to feel God’s pleasure, praise Him with your words today – and with your life. Amen.

God’s pleasure

How delightful!

Feeling His Pleasure