The Bible tells me that God is a joyful being. When others talk about pleasing God, I’ve wondered how sinners such as I can make God any happier than He already is? Since joy is His nature, a joy that He imparts to us, it doesn’t seem logical that we can do anything to give it back to Him.
Today’s devotional suggests to me that God’s intrinsic joy is part of who He is because He sees the fruit of His own work in our lives.
I make quilts. At first, when a quilt turned out well, I felt pride. However, as I realized that the Lord is the source of all skill and beauty, those quilts no longer puff me up. Instead, I just look at them with joy. I’m thinking that God could experience joy in that same way — He looks at the work He is doing and is delighted in it.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Just as a quilt is made to do a particular function (cover a bed or look lovely on a wall as art), God works in the lives of His people that we do good things, even particular actions that bring glory to His Name. As this verse says, to do otherwise is no delight to His heart:
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight. (Proverbs 11:20)
Other verses are more specific, such as “ . . . there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7) and “Without faith it is impossible to please (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Seeing repentance and faith are His gifts to us and when He sees them opened and displayed, He is delighted.
Proverbs 15:8 says “the prayer of the upright” delights Him. Proverbs 11:20 says “those of blameless ways are His delight” — God is delighted with prayer and obedience.
I’ve already discovered that when I obey God, He shares with me the joy He experiences over my obedience. That is a great wonder! God is not only joyful when we do those things that please Him, He shares the joy He feels with us. This is both a thrill and humbling, for I know that the ability to obey Him is also a gift. I know that “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19) and without His goodness to me, I would not be doing anything good toward Him.
Lord God, I thank You for the grace that enables me to please You and the amazing grace that bounces that pleasure back to me in such a way that I know whatever I did was because of You in the first place. People get delighted over many things that please them, but in Your kingdom, we get delighted because You share Your goodness with us so we can give it back to You and then receive even more of it. How amazing!
ONE MORE: Think about what I ask God for most often. Then read 1 Kings 3:3–15. What did Solomon ask for from God? How did God respond? Think about what might be a request on my part that would please God as Solomon’s request did.
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