TO PLEASE HIM

2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.


There are some opportunities for pleasing God that we will only have while present in these bodies here on earth. When we get to heaven, there will no longer be the need for faith, no more need for endurance through trials, no more need for courage and boldness in telling others about Jesus. But now, while we are present in these bodies, it is our only opportunity in all eternity to please God in these areas.

I wonder sometimes if I am truly pleasing Him with my life in all I not only do, but what I think? If Jesus is truly my Savior and my Lord, then the deepest desires of my heart should be to serve and please Him, and that desire will be expressed in a longing for holiness and a pattern of righteous living. It won't be caught up in trying to please everyone else around me. I have certainly learned over the years that it never quite happens anyway. Pleasing God must be my goal. As this New Year begins I have prayerfully considered what my goals for this year might be. I haven't done too well in the past making resolutions and trying to stick to those, but have found that I do much better setting goals for myself and working towards them. I have many areas I need and could focus on, but I have decided for me that if I just stick with the one goal of pleasing God in any way that I can, pretty much all the other ones will be addressed anyway. I have chosen two verses that I am going to cling to this year...

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Lord knows the plans He has for my life. They are GOOD plans..to both bring about my ultimate good and give me hope and a future. I don't have to stress and worry and wonder what I might or should do, but just trust that Lord has all the pages of my life firmly in His capable hands, and I will trust Him to lead me day by day. I just need to strive EACH DAY to please Him.

Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

It is not as a question of "if" I will fail, but "when" I will fail. But in spite of this fact, I love that the love the Lord has for me will NEVER stop. His mercies toward me NEVER come to an end. That every day is a new day with new opportunities to please Him. To serve Him. He is all I will ever need. And therefore, I WILL hope in Him.

PSALM 34: 1-4 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

I want this favorite portion of scripture to be my mindset for 2010. I want Him to be what I seek after in this next year and for my goal to be to please Him in any way that I can. I want praise for Him to be continually in my mouth. For if I seek the Lord, He WILL hear me, and deliver me from all my fears.

Many thanks go to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting this Spiritual Sundays.  For other posts click HERE.