Bread for the JourneySample

The One Who Pleases God

One of the most impressive things Jesus ever said was: “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” (John 8:29, NIV)

How much satisfaction our Lord must have felt saying those words with such conviction! To always do what pleases the Father requires knowing Him, knowing His will, and loving Him with a selfless and unconditional love.

When we hear God speak about His Son, we realize that He is a dearly loved Son. “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” (Matthew 12:18, NIV)

Isn't this what we also want, those of us who are His children through faith in the Savior? I think one of the most genuine desires we should have is to please Him in everything we do, think, or say. The apostle Paul prayed for the Colossians to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, with a very specific goal: “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10, NIV)

There are times when pleasing God is easy and doesn't demand much effort or sacrifice from us. But it's not always so pleasant, because sometimes it involves breaking our self-will, giving up what we prefer, and silencing our flesh. Therefore, pleasing God is the result of having a grateful heart. It's about being aware of who God is and wanting with all our heart to do His will, despite everything that opposes that will—including ourselves.

How wonderful it would be to hear the heavenly Father speak of us as He did of His Son! Knowing that God is pleased with us is so amazing that just thinking about it brings immense joy to our soul. God knows us, beloved. He knows the intentions of our heart. He knows the struggles we have to say no to the flesh and be obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

God knows that forgiving isn't always easy, and that our human weakness strongly pulls us toward the easier path, the one that involves no sacrifice. He sees our tears when, broken and repentant, we come before Him because we have failed Him. But He also knows that our deepest desire is to please Him and do His will. Let's pray that His Holy Spirit will help us please the One who saved us and gave Himself up for us.