God is jealous for His reputation! God wants to be a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. I believe He wants to be known as a prayer hearing, prayer answering, miracle working, chain breaking Lord. In Hebrews 11:6, we are instructed, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of anyone who diligently seeks Him.”
This means that anyone can please God as long as they believe two things: first, they must believe there is a God and second, believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. In other words, the person must believe in a God who hears and answers prayer.
No one can get saved, no one can believe in God, no one can even please God unless they believe God answers prayer.
Pleasing God involves a faith, a confidence, that God will deliver on His promises. Pleasing God involves believing He will always reward those who seek Him. The very nature of God is His desire that we come to Him for what we need, want and expect Him to answer our cry. Jesus made it plain:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV).
God wants to reveal His power, His wisdom, His grace and His holiness through people of faith who will ask Him for what they need and want. The God we worship is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the same God who parted the Red Sea for the Jews; the same God who brought rain for Elijah; the same God who healed a blind beggar and a hemorrhaging woman. The same God.
The question is not God’s willingness but our faith. I want to please God with my life, my family, my church and in my city! He has shown just how that happens!
Desiring to please Him,
Steve
Steve Holt M.A., D.D.
My newest book, Worshipper Warrior, can be found at www.steveholtonline.org
and www.amazon.com
