PSALM 147:10-11 – His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
THEME OF THE DAY. THOSE IN WHOM THE LORD TAKES PLEASURE. Nothing is more thrilling in life than pleasing God. Nothing brings more satisfaction in life than pleasing God. Nothing promotes a life of contentment more than pleasing God. It is both the reason for our creation and the reason for our salvation. And where lives of pleasing the Lord exist, the Lord takes great pleasure in such people.
When it comes lives lived pleasing God that leads to Him taking pleasure in such lives, it all begins with our commitment to obey His Word. Love for God is always first and foremost measured by obedience to His commandments. Jesus gave us this simple and clear measuring tool of our love for Him – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). But don’t be discouraged over this being a struggle in our lives. It is, and it will be. Our flesh fights tooth and nail against the required self-discipline of the body, mind, and heart to obey God’s Word. Yet, instead of getting down over the inconsistency in our obedience, rejoice that we are making progress and the desire for obedience is increasing. However, if we don’t see obeying God’s Word growing in our practice and passion, find out why. Where no desire to obey God and the practice of obeying God is absent, something is seriously wrong in our spiritual lives.
But in addition to obedience being a measuring tool for evaluating whether we are pleasing the Lord, today’s scriptures give us two more. When these are present and pursued in our lives the Lord takes great pleasure in us.
First, the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him – “the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him.” This does not mean being afraid of God. It is that wonderful and freeing attitude of affectionate reverence for Him. And the strongest evidences of fearing God are hating what He hates and loving what He loves. God hates sin. People fearing Him hate sin. God loves holiness. People fearing Him love holiness. When the fear of God controls a person, we begin to see sin and holiness as God does. And as this occurs, we not only hate sin, but avoid and fight sin. It is the same with holiness. As the fear of God produces within us love for holiness, we will not only love it, but pursue it.
Another attitude the Psalmist reveals is present in people the Lord takes pleasure in is confidence in His steadfast love – “the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” The most important thing we may give God is our confidence, or, trust in Him. We may simplify this by saying, “God delights in His children when they believe His Word and Person.” The Psalmist illustrates this by living confidently in God’s love for him. And if God takes pleasure in us when we believe Him and His love for us, then the opposite would be true. He is most grieved when we doubt His love for us. Imagine telling our spouses or family members, “I love you so much” and they said, “No, I don’t believe you.” And they persisted in their unbelief despite our many overtures and words of love to them. Would we not be grieved? How much more the God who promises to love us with a steadfast love and cannot lie?
A life pleasing to the Lord. It should be our daily pursuit. As it unfolds in our obedience, fearing and trusting Him, we may rest assured and experience the good pleasure of our God who delights in those who fear and believe Him.
PRAYER: Father, help me to strive to be one in whom You take pleasure in.”
QUOTE: “God’s children fear Him and hope in His steadfast love. These are traits in the born again.”