Rediscover the Bible for Life

“The Man Who Pleases God”

Three men were at a friend’s funeral. The pastor asked, “What do you want your friends to say about you when you are laying in a casket?”

After thinking about it, one man said, “I want my friends to say I was a very good person.”

The second man said, “I want my friends to say I was a giving person.”

Without any hesitation the third man said, “I want my friends to say he’s moving!”

We often don’t come to grips with what is the most important until there’s a divine encounter. It’s then we realize all the things we were so worried about really aren’t that important.

When someone contracts cancer or has a heart attack or stroke all those things they were concerned about aren’t really that big of a concern. Instead it all boils down to a couple of things, and the most important is a genuine, vibrant, and real relationship with Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament there’s a man named Enoch whose walk with God was so pure, so vibrant, and so honest the Lord said, “This is what it’s all about.”

The Bible summarizes Enoch’s life in twelve words that reveals a faith so powerful and so vibrant that God couldn’t wait any longer.

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24 NKJV)

And while Enoch’s faith pleased God, there’s something else I see that may please God more.

At the leading of the Holy Spirit the writer of Hebrews says, “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying – ‘suddenly he disappeared because God took him.’ But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 11:5 NLT)

What pleases God is a simple, honest, clean, and refreshing relationship with Him. Enoch pleased God because of his relationship with God, and the Lord said, “Enoch, this is what pleases Me most. Let’s walk into eternity together.”

What’s interesting is that this is exactly what the Lord said about His Son, Jesus.

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NKJV)

Jesus hadn’t done anything yet, but God opened the heavens and said, “I’m well pleased.”

What pleased God was the relationship.

There are those who say they’re Christians, but really don’t have a relationship with God. Knowing God is no substitute for a genuine loving relationship with Him.

There are many so-called Christians who know all about submission, but are unwilling to submit. They know all about honesty, but in their daily lives are far from being honest. They know all there is to know about forgiveness, but heaven help the person who does them wrong. They say they believe God’s word, but don’t follow it.

And so they end up substituting knowledge for a relationship.

But when we understand this relationship then we’ll want to give grace because of the grace God has given us. We’ll want to lay down our lives, because Jesus laid down His life for us. And we’ll want to forgive others, because of how much God has forgiven us.

This is not a religious thing; it’s a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. And when we have that relationship, then we’ll hear the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Dennis Lee is the senior pastor of Living Waters Fellowship in Mesquite, Nevada.