0624 WHAT PLEASES THE LORD

JUNE 23 = EPHESIANS 5

FINDING OUT WHAT PLEASES THE LORD

In the midst of a whole list of directives, Paul includes this single sentence:

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.”

In other versions, it is translated, “And find out what pleases the Lord.”

Let’s start with this encouraging concept of “pleasing” God. The Lord said several times in the Old Testament that the aroma of an animal sacrifice is “pleasing” to him. I suspect that is because of the gift, more than the actual aroma. The psalmist said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.” Other translations properly translate it as “pleasing in your sight.” The words of my mouth can actually bring the Lord pleasure, and the things I think about can do the same.

So we see some things that bring the Lord pleasure. But Paul challenges us to still “find out” or discover what bring pleasure to the Lord.

What do you think? What brings him pleasure? He doesn’t directly say it here. So let’s find out what brings him pleasure.

Jesus said that there is more celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents than all the ones who never needed to repent. So repentance brings him pleasure. Psalm 51 goes on to say that a broken and a contrite heart the Lord will not despise.

Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. All the law is summarized by those two commandments, he said. So it seems pretty safe to say that God is pleased with our love for him and for one another. In fact, that just might be the single most important relationship for any of us, and it touches on the very purpose for our lives. Repentance and love. Sounds like a winning formula.

How we behave and where our hearts are centered makes a difference to God. He says “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Being fully devoted to the Lord. The eyes of the Lord roam throughout all the earth, seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Elsewhere Paul says those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And he works in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure. He takes delight in those who fear him.

Heartfelt praise surely brings the Lord pleasure. But only when it is accompanied by good works and devotion. Love brings him pleasure. He will 

God loves a cheerful giver. Giving him our best, returning the gifts he gave to us, brings him pleasure. However, our gifts must be in a context of social justice. God tells Israel, “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, i will not accept them . . . but let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God loved his grandson Isaac, but hated his brother Esau. Perhaps that was based on their behavior, but God’s choices were made before they were even born.

So, as we plumb the depths of what brings the Lord delight, we find a whole new relationship with Almighty God than we might have thought possible. Let him delight in you, and rejoice over you with singing! Amen.