Praised by God #8—Pleasing Praise

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he could not be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. Hebrews 11:5

Gracious God, pleasing you is such a pleasure! You have made it so simple. Creation reveals your wisdom and power, inviting us to understand the fullness of your glory and the greatness of your joy. Your extraordinary kindnesses in our lives convince us of your holiness: your infinite, unexcelled and irreplaceable worth. The cross and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate your absolute righteousness and guarantee the fulfillment of all your promises. You offer an eternity of happy tomorrows filled with marvelous surprises, and all of your rules are fair. What could make more sense than pledging allegiance to Jesus and becoming a citizen of his kingdom? What could be more reasonable than entrusting our future to you, day by day, year by year, forever? Nothing could be more pleasurable for us or more pleasing to you! Even though we are more like Peter, whose faith floundered, than Enoch, whose faith flourished, we rely on Jesus to intercede for us and on you to honor his sacrificial love; trusting you for mercy pleases you as much as trusting you for everything else. So we do not worry when we are weary; we do not fear when we are frail; we do not quit when you are quiet. With Abraham, we stand beneath the star-filled sky and replant our mustard seed of faith, listening in our hearts to hear again, “That’s right!” and feel your pleasure drive our remaining doubts away. Yes, “it is good to sing praises to you, O God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming.”