The human race has brought to its Maker much grief of heart, so much so that early in our history, the Lord mourned over the very fact of our creation.
"God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Genesis 6:5-6).
Despite His foreknowledge and certainty of fulfilling His purposes regarding humanity, God nevertheless felt the emotions of regret concerning us. There is much mystery in this juxtaposition of knowledge and feeling as known in the Divine sensibilities of our Lord. There is no mystery, however, concerning the reality of God's emotional nature. No one feels to the intensity and measure known in His heart. He is the most emotional person in existence, experiencing pleasures and pains of heart to infinite degrees unknown in the feelings of any other being. To please or to grieve God thus becomes a matter of the most vital significance for those who love and desire to bless Him.
"We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more" (I Thessalonians 4:1).
As those in whom His beloved Son dwells, born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ possess the potential to bless the heart of God beyond measure. When we trust and submit ourselves to the Savior, His character, nature, and way manifest in open display not only to other people around us, but more importantly, to the Father above us. The Son in whom He is "well pleased" shines forth in sons and daughters that reveal the Lord Jesus through the unique facets of our personalities, histories, and singular relationships with God. Indeed, the Christ of the Father's pleasure blesses Him in ways heretofore unknown as the love of God assimilates in us and ascends from us with features not only of Christ, or of ourselves, but of Christ as revealed in ourselves. Thus fulfills the Psalmist's prayer, and thus pleases our Father's heart: "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" (Psalm 90:17).
In this day, we possess the capacity to please a sublimely wonderful Heart that has known much grief. As we walk by faith, we bless the very heart of God. No more pleasing prospect to our own hearts exists, and it could be said that no other prospect of genuine pleasure exists. Yes, when we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, if we have some sense that God might be pleased with the beings and doings of this day, our rest will be graced with peace. This will be pleasure, first and most importantly to God, and then to our own hearts.
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
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