40 Days of Purpose: How to make God smile

We were made to please God so how do we please Him? How do we make Him smile?

KEY VERSE

“The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love.” Psalm 147:11 CEV

Today’s verse tells us exactly how to please God: worship and trust. We recently learned that worship means loving God in every way. It is a lifestyle. And I’m sure I don’t need to explain to you what trust is. These two things are how we please God.

In the Bible, Noah is an example of pleasing God. Noah wasn’t perfect, but in a time when no one loved God, he stood out as being faithful in his love for God. From Noah, we can learn five ways to please God which are all acts of worship.

“Noah, however, found favour with the Lord… was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:8-9 CSB

LOVE GOD WHOLLY

Just as Noah did if we want to please God we must love Him. We must walk with God through life maintaining a lifestyle that shows we love Him. That means loving God with every fibre of our being, with our hearts, our minds and our souls.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38 CSB

Back then it would have been normal for sacrifices to have been made to show commitment and love to God, but even then it wasn’t what God really wanted. Hosea 6 tells us that God wants faithful love over sacrifices and for us to know Him over burnt offerings.

To love God wholly we have to choose to love Him. Choose to be faithful to His ways and spend time with Him just as we spend time with others whom we love.

TRUST GOD ENTIRELY

Noah trusted God even when it didn’t make sense. We know God asked him to build the ark because God wanted to flood the earth but what we don’t remember or know is that Noah lived nowhere near the ocean and rain had not been created yet (Genesis 2:5-6). Also, how were all the animals supposed to get on the ark? Where were they going to come from?

If it had been us we probably would have had insane doubts but as far as we know Noah didn’t. We could really learn from Him. That ark took 120 years to build and not to have had a single doubt now that is some insane trust. When we trust God it shows we have faith that He knows best that we believe that He will come through on His Word. Trust is worship.

“The Lord values those who fear him, those who put their hope in his faithful love.” Psalm 147:11 CSB

OBEY GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY

Noah didn’t complain or make excuses even when he had the circumstances to doubt. Noah walked in faith and obeyed God wholeheartedly. There was no procrastination or hesitation God told Noah to do and he did (Genesis 6:22).

Noah did everything God said precisely. He followed the exact measurements God gave him to build the ark. Noah knew that understanding may come eventually but obedience can’t wait. He knew that sometimes obedience is the key to unlocking understanding.

What we need to learn is to be more like Noah and stop procrastination, we need to stop hesitating when God tells us to do something or go somewhere. Even partial obedience is still disobedience.

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” James 2:24 CSB

Obedience is an act of worship, obedience is love in action. We may be saved by grace but our works prove our faith in God. God has us here for a purpose and if we are not obedient we show Him we don’t trust Him or love Him.

“If you love me, you will keep my commands.” John 14:15 CSB

PRAISE GOD CONTINUALLY

When the ground dried up after the flood and Noah came out of the ark, he offered a sacrifice to God in thanksgiving and praise (Genesis 8:20). It was the first thing he did. When did you last thank God for something or give Him the praise He deserves?

“I will praise God’s name with song and exalt him with thanksgiving. That will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.” Psalm 69:30-31 CSB

We don’t need to sacrifice a cow because Jesus sacrificed himself in place of us once and for all. No, the bible says in Psalm 69 that praise and gratitude from our mouths are more than enough to please God. We praise Him for who He is and thank Him for what He has done.

“Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of the lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15 CSB

Worship is a two-way street. Our enjoyment of God and the things He has created brings God joy. When we express that joy to Him, not only does it bring God greater joy, but it causes our joy to increase, too.

When we praise and thank God He is pleased with us, so pleased that He rewards us with joyful hearts.

USING OUR GOD-GIVEN ABILITIES

Noah used his God-given skills to build the ark and then after the flood was regranted the authority to look after the earth that Adam and Eve had first been given (Gen 9:1-3). Just like Noah, God has given us the skills and talents to use for His purposes and for the good of others.

“A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in his way.” Psalm 37:23 CSB

When we use those skills for God it is an act of worship. It shows Him we love Him for how He created us. We may not always feel this way but we should not question why God made us a certain way. We were made with intention and it brings God pleasure to see us being ourselves.

“Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 CSB

A lifestyle of worship and wholehearted trust in God is what pleases Him. Now that we know how to practise this in our lives there is nothing to stop us from pleasing God every day. We don’t need to do certain things or be in a certain place to please Him – unless that’s what He has asked of us.

All we need to do is love, trust, obey, praise and thank God and use the abilities He has given us for His good and the good of others. Keep it simple.

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