What Pleases God? — Do You?
© 2022 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)
In the Bible, God tells us what pleases Him and what doesn’t. Consider the following words from His ten commandments.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
Do you, do I, fully satisfy God’s requirement, above, in all of our thoughts and actions? Do we ever work harder to please ourselves than we do to please God? Even on those occasions when we desire to promote good things, is it totally because of our love for God? Or do we sometimes pursue good things in order to convince ourselves and others that we’re good?
One day, the Lord Jesus Christ was speaking with the religious elites of Israel. He said:
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34)
Unlike people, from whom we can hide the thoughts of our hearts, God sees them all, even before we act. David, king and psalmist of Israel, expressed it this way.
“… O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” (Psalm 139:1-4)
Notice that our thoughts are an open book to God. He sees them “afar off.” With all of these things working against us, how can anyone be forgiven and saved? God’s Son, Jesus Christ, explained it this way to His disciple, Thomas.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
How did He provide forgiveness of sins to those who trust and follow Him? He paid the painful penalty for all who ultimately trust Him as Savior.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Each member of humanity shall be assigned to one of two eternal destinies based on their relationship to this Savior.
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:12)
To which destiny shall you be assigned?
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