I was thinking about some friends who are facing trials. Jake is about to lose his job because he won’t compromise his convictions. Sheryl has been unemployed and soon her government assistance will run out. Sam had surgery to fuse together two vertebrae in his spine, but now he’s feeling numbness on his right side.
I wondered what I could say to them that wouldn’t sound like pious platitudes. Then I read Enoch’s story in Hebrews 11:5-6. One of only two people who never died, Enoch was taken straight to heaven because he “pleased God.” That’s it, I thought. We can’t control our circumstances, our health, or the actions of those around us, but we all can strive to please God. Like Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace, we believe that “the God whom we serve is able to save us. . . . But even if he doesn’t, . . . we will never serve your gods” (Daniel 3:17-18). No matter how this turns out, we will please the Lord.
But how do we please God? I posed that question to a friend who teaches Old Testament. He revealed that the Hebrew term for “the godly ones” (hasid) comes from the same stem as the term for “grace” (hesed). Simply put, the “godly ones” are those who turn to God and plead for grace. The “faithful ones” are those “who are close to him” (Psalm 148:14). The “godly” run to the Lord for protection and pray to Him in their time of need (Psalm 4:3, 32:6-7). We please God most when we fall on our face and confess that we depend entirely upon Him.
We don’t know whether Enoch attempted fantastic feats of spiritual strength. We only know that he pleased God. And so will we if we “believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Revelation 21:1-27
More:
Pray Psalm 86:1-17 as a means of professing your dependence on God.
Next:
Who or what are you relying on? How will you please God today?
Gary Shultz on December 30, 2015 at 6:36 am
If and hopefully when, meaning with some regularity, we stand in the Lord’s presence, we do find we as human beans are unfit and unworthy to please God. We fall on His desire to be our Father through His expense and stand in wonder at His acts of grace. Even saying that, I find myself often at a loss to give an answer to life’s large hurts and struggles, as you have seen in your friends. To be more precise about the “Next” question, there will be no other real answer to please God than to rely on His mercy and grace. Even in our state, if we but live graciously, humbly and lovingly, remembering those who hurt, bringing thanks and praise to our God who sees and cares, we are pleasant in His sight. Thank you Mike, may your New Year be pleasing.
Mike Wittmer on December 30, 2015 at 8:08 am
Thank you, Gary. I am thinking of my friend today who had a biopsy yesterday for enlarged lymph nodes. She has battled cancer for so long, and now fears it has come back. She is the sweetest Christian you’ll ever meet, and now she may have to go through this again? Enough! I have no answers for why God allows her to suffer so much more than me, but I know that we are both responsible to respond is submission to whatever God allows to come to us.
jim spillane on December 30, 2015 at 11:53 am
Mike – could it be that some suffer more so that others have to suffer less? I don’t know. All I do know is that we are never burdened by more than we are able to handle, especially if we remain faithful to God, who works all things out for our own eventual good. I am praying for your friend today.
Tim Gustafson on December 30, 2015 at 7:50 am
Mike, this is really helpful. So often we think it takes some great feat to be close to God. But it merely requires humble dependence. Which, for me, is difficult.
Mike Wittmer on December 30, 2015 at 8:09 am
I know what you mean. This is the paradox of the Christian life–why is resting in God so hard? It’s just resting! 🙂
sandy229 on December 30, 2015 at 9:17 pm
We please God by obeying Him. Obedience is an outward expression of our love for Him.