Day 8 - Planned For God’s Pleasure
The first purpose that we read about in todays reading is the fact that the minute we were born, God was an “unseen witness” smiling at our birth… what a comforting thought to know that our arrival has given Him great joy! God created us for his own enjoyment, for his benefit, purpose, glory and delight…
Bringing enjoyment to God and living for his pleasure is our first purpose in life.
How do you feel about that? Do you believe it? Does it give you a sense of significance, or does it seem like some far off religious idea that doesn’t apply to you?
One of the greatest gifts God has given to us it the ability to enjoy pleasure. He’s wired us this way. He wants us to enjoy life, not endure it.
Bringing pleasure to God is called “worship.” Anything that we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. As todays reading points out, for many of us the word “worship” means different things… it can be going to church, singing, music, different types of ceremonies, candles, communion, lifting of hands, healing and maybe even ecstatic experiences. These are all part of worship…
The true worship we have to offer though is our very lives. Worship is not a part of our lives, it is our life. The secret to a lifestyle of worship is doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus. As The Message Paraphrase in Romans 6:13 says ” Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating going-to-work, and walking around life - and place it before God as an offering.” What a tremendous thought that our work, the abilities God has given us, our very lives can bring God pleasure!