Pleasing God

Faith is the foundation for pleasing God. How can we please someone we have no faith in? We have no desire to please what we don’t have faith in. What is your definition of faith? Hebrews chapter 11 begins with a definition of faith. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). It takes faith to believe in God. We cannot see HIm, but this doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist. People believe in life on other planets, but not God. We can have confidence in our hope that God exists and that heaven is our home. Our hope in eternal life is secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

I started with the statement that faith is the foundation for pleasing God. Hebrews 11:6, tells us, “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.” If we have no faith in the existence of God we will not seek Him. God wants us to seek Him with our whole heart. A reward awaits those who do. “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29). We find God when we seek Him with our whole heart. God is pleased when we seek HIm wholeheartedly. The reward is that when we earnestly seek God we will find HIm. I believe this is the reward the writer of Hebrews is talking about. When we earnestly seek God we are rewarded with finding Him, and finding Him is the greatest reward of all. 

Earnestly seeking God begins with the belief that He exists. Even the statement “God, if you exist, reveal Yourself to me” shows some faith in the existence of God. If you seriously believe there is no God then why would you be asking Him to reveal Himself? This statement actually is a form of seeking God. I believe even in this case, God is pleased. Why? Because it indicates a willful seeking of Him. So, without faith it is impossible to please God. Our earnest seeking of God pleases Him. The reward is finding Him. The key that opens the door to pleasing God is faith. Matthew 17:20 says, “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, 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.” These are the words of Jesus. Just a small speck of faith can move mountains, and with the mountain moved we can see God. A little faith is all it takes. Faith is the foundation for pleasing God.