Seeking to Please God is asking guidance, every decision: “Please, God, show me the way…” – an utterance to PLEASE GOD (no commas)- not just saying (with commas): “Please, God, do this for me…”

To know His Grace and Mercy through forgiveness by Jesus, we now seek to Please God, no commas, rather than ask first for what pleases us. So we please God in our devotion to what pleases Him.

And yet, we are ALSO allowed to ask for what pleases us in guidance, in provisions, in comfort, in hope.  “Please, God, …” is a rally cry to Him, which also pleases Him…

And loving God pleases Him, and loving others pleases Him. And knowing our worth as He makes us worthy – straighten the crown of being children of the King. 

Peter wrote: “but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Surely we ALSO please God with our ability to get up every morning and keep going… going for ourselves, going for others, going because we have to, and going for sake of sharing faith, and even for when it’s others witnessing us going through tough stuff but we keep going. And we get motivated as we see others going and going…

Last week I was struggling to find a parking spot on a trip, in hindsight I should have taken the train, but well I didn’t (the next day I did because I had the understanding of the landscape, the relief of realization of what was going to work out logistic wise for me that day.  I powered through new semi-strange scenes and was refueled in motivation seeing others who we’re pushing hard to get where they were going – even a mom was bicycling 2 small kids in the city streets in the cold, wow… In the pursuit of my passion, I had to pay certain prices, push purposefully, and pause perplexed too… I got through… I did…

It’s a privilege the paths we take. And pride has no space when God gives us the time and place to do what we do. 

And we do, we do give God His Due…

Amen 

Jesus Calling: November 6 by Sarah Young:

“Seek to please Me above all else. As you journey through today, there will be many choice-points along your way. Most of the day’s decisions will be small ones you have to make quickly. You need some rule of thumb to help you make good choices. Many people’s decisions are a combination of their habitual responses and their desire to please themselves or others. This is not My way for you. Strive to please Me in everything, not just in major decisions. This is possible only to the extent that you are living in close communion with Me. When My Presence is your deepest delight, you know almost instinctively what will please Me. A quick glance at Me is all you need to make the right choice. Delight yourself in Me more and more; seek My pleasure in all you do.”

John 8:29

English Standard Version

And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.