Faith Pleases God
Devotional Reading: It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him. Hebrews 11:6 CEB
When I ponder the thought of pleasing God, it brings delight to my soul, but it was not always that way. Because of the many negative teachings I heard while growing up about God, the term “Pleasing God” was anything but delightful. I would say more fear was associated with the statement.
I have come to understand that when we understand that God loved us even while we were rebellious to Him, there is nothing more we can do to please Him for acceptance and that is because we have found faith. The gift of faith shows Him how much our confidence is in Him. Pleasing God is not hard or laborious work, but instead, it is the exercising of faith in the One who can do the impossible. The Bible tells us God is a rewarder of those that seek Him – “And without faith, it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). To please God doesn’t require our works and ability in ourselves, but pleasing God is resting in who He is and His ability to do what He says He will do, and this faith is only maintained by reading, hearing and meditating on Him and His words.
In Hebrews 11, we read about the heroes of faith, and they were all very simple people like you and me but their confidence in God to come through for them is what etched their names in the hall of faith – they pleased God because they believed in Him. When we put our trust and confidence in our Creator rather than in creation, we will be positioned to see mountains move; oceans parted, supplies never run dry, dead bones come live and death defeated. Watchman Nee says, “Faith looks not at what happens to him but at Him Whom he believes.”
Prayer and Confession
I am a believer and not doubter, I believe that what the word of God says is true. I please God with my faith. Amen.
Further Reading – Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:8-29,17
