What Pleases God?

He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
or in human might.
No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147:10-11, NLT*

If you take a few minutes to read Psalm 147 you’ll see descriptions of God’s power and actions. He restores the nation of Israel but also heals the broken-hearted. He names each star and feeds baby ravens.

He does it all without needing our help, although the Bible makes it clear that He invites and empowers us to participate in His work.

God is big, vast beyond our knowing. His power can’t be thwarted, nor His mercy exhausted.

What does He ask us to do? Save ourselves? Restore and bind up ourselves? Name the stars and feed the wildlife?

Some of those things we will do, and it will please Him. We’ll care for one another and for creation. That’s important. And I’m sure He doesn’t mind that we name the stars, even though His names for them are truer.

But it’s not our strength, accomplishments or actions that delight God. It’s our heart-responses to Him—responses of healthy fear of His power and hope in His love. His unfailing love, in case we missed that.

Majestic Creator God, there is none like You. You give us so much—including salvation—that we could never earn nor repay. Instead of trying to do the impossible, our response is to be reverent fear and hope. You say it pleases You, so help us to live this way more and more. And help us to show our love for You in how we treat others.

God has saved us, and we have nothing to prove. Here’s Todd Agnew’s song, “I Need No Other.” You may recognize the seeds of an older song, “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

4 thoughts on “What Pleases God?

  1. Ginny Jaques

    Amen to that prayer, for sure, Janet. We have forgotten how to embrace that kind of fear in our culture, and we need the hope to “relieve” our fears when we do.

    Reply
    1. Janet Sketchley

      Perspective: when we get an idea how big and powerful God really is, and when we know He’s good, suddenly other fears don’t look so overwhelming. I really need to remember God and to ground myself in knowing who He is.

      Reply

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