Pleasing God

As I travel through the Old Testament slowly, I often find things in the New Testament that emphasize some of the treasures found in the old covenant period. As I get to know people like Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, the 'Believer's Hall of Fame' in Hebrews 11 is really becoming clearer. These men had a passion for God, 'they walked with Him'!

I had to do some rethinking of Hebrews 11:6 in regards to the word 'faith'. It is translated from the Greek word 'pistus' meaning faith, believing or trust. God expands His meaning (He often does that) right there in the verse!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Pleasing God had always seemed highlighted for me until recently; but it is the phrases that follow that present clearly what it is to please God.  We cannot please God by any other method than by 'coming to Him', 'believing that He is' and that 'He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him'.  Often this verse has connoted to people an 'earn by works' or what I call 'bootstrap believing' (or 'grit and believe it' theology). That is not at all what it is about. It is all about our hearts turning to God and trusting. How can one believe someone without trusting? Trust involves knowing the true nature of God and having a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ showed us that.

Each one of those men mentioned in the first paragraph had a relationship with God; it was individual and each one did something different for God. When you have the spirit of God in your life, you are the one to whom the spirit of God communicates purpose and direction to. No one else can do that for you. No one else determines your 'mission for God' except you and Him.

Several years ago someone told me I needed to go on a project assignment for God in order to grow and not be afraid to give up my well-paying job. Had God forgotten to tell me about this?  Was I not listening? Was I not believing or trusting God? It happened several times and I even started entertaining a fear of being fearful! Then I realized God was providing my own unique 'projects' and my paycheck was not in my way!  Heck, God had helped in my job search! It could absolutely be an entirely different situation for someone else.  The point is that each of us has to believe that He (God) is and diligently seek Him. No one does that for you. What we share with each other is the excitement of access to God for direction, not the direction itself.

In the Old Testament, the spirit of God was 'upon' certain individuals and not on everyone. The whole purpose of the New Testament is to explain our access individually to the throne of grace. We all can have the spirit within because of the death, resurrection, ascension and Lordship of Jesus Christ.