Pleasing God

Pleasing God

Most of us work very hard to be trustworthy.

It is one of the greatest qualities we can achieve in life. 

After all the hard work of becoming trustworthy,

 it puts a smile on our face

when someone develops the confidence to trust us. 

In the same way, it puts a smile on God’s face when we trust Him.

 Ever wonder what you could do to please God?

God has everything,

so a new robe or sandals is not going to do it.

Maybe we can get a clue in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

“Without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to Him

must believe that He exists

and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

Our clue is “Faith”

We can also see in Hebrews 11 a number of examples

of those who used their faith and brought pleasure to God.

In James 2,

we find that faith without deed or works is dead.

So “without” faith we can not please God

and

Faith “without” works is dead.

Faith that pleases must be active

in order to bring pleasure to God.

Jesus on several occasions said to His disciples,

“Oh you of little faith.”

Each time I read one of those passages

I question myself -

Do I have little faith?

I think you are like me

you want to bring pleasure to God.

But too often fear and doubt keep us

from putting a smile on His face.

So how big is your faith?

Do you play it safe

or do you believe you and God can do big things!

Jesus said we have little faith when we:

Worry! Matthew 6:30-31

Fear storms and don’t take authority over them! Matthew 8:26

Doubt the supernatural power of God! Matthew 14:31

Fail to seek clear understanding! Matthew 16:8

Limit God’s ability to do the impossible! Matthew 17:20

OUCH!!!

I am sorry, Lord!

“I believe –

Help my unbelief”

Scripture Reading

Matthew 6:29-31 NIV

 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'

or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matthew 8:23-26 NIV

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.

24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake,

so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

26 He replied, "You of little faith , why are you so afraid?"

Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Matthew 14:28-31 NIV

28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

29 "Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out,

"Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

"You of little faith ," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Matthew 16:8-12 NIV

8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked,

"You of little faith , why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?

9 Do you still not understand?

Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand,

and how many basketfuls you gathered?

10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

11 How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread?

But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Matthew 17:17-20 NIV

17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation,"

Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?

Bring the boy here to me." 

18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy,

and he was healed from that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked,

"Why couldn't we drive it out?"

20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith .

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain,

'Move from here to there' and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you."

Hebrews 11:1-6 NIV

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

James 2:18-26 NIV

18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19 You believe that there is one God. Good!

Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did

when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,

and his faith was made complete by what he did.

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says,

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"

and he was called God's friend.

24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what

she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.