Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Word Study Wednesday: Pleasing God

Ephesians 5:8-10: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord."

"Mommy, come look at my room," my daughter yelled down the stairs. She wanted me to see her clean room.

"Great job, Sweetie," I said looking at her room. Her smile beamed across her face as I expressed my delight in a job well done (granted this was the third time to look at her room, but it was finally done). As children of God, we should want to please Him, just as children long to please their parents.

So what pleases the Lord? Jeremiah 9:24 gives us a hint: "...but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Just as the LORD exercises kindness, justice and righteousness, we should as well. He delights in those who practice His ways and live as children of light. Of course, living as children of light, we should shine in the darkness.

What's the reward for pleasing the Lord? Psalm 37:23 - 24 says: "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." My favorite part of those verses is the phrase "...the Lord delights in a man's way" My prayer is that He delights in my ways and that my ways are His ways. I imagine Him watching me, smiling and delighting in my way of living. A smile beams across my face.

2 comments:

Diane Marie Shaw said...

He delights in your clean room too Joanne. :) Sometimes I think we are harder on ourselves than God is. He really likes us.

Just Me said...

I'm afraid my heavenly father does a lot of forehead slapping when it comes to me. *sigh*