Let's Please God
Sometimes, I wonder how much my life pleases God. I know that I am saved, but I wonder if there is something that I may be overlooking. Maybe that’s why the Scriptures say that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. When I look back into my Christian life and see some of the things that I used to do while claiming to be a Christian, I am glad that God didn’t call me home then!
Recently, I was thinking about 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (this entire passage is given below). It talks about Israel’s trip through the desert and how they traveled with Christ. Then you read this in verse 5: “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.” (In fact, only two of the men from that generation was allowed to enter the Promised Land). And then the next verse makes the connection with you and me: “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”
In our current world and time, you and I often set our hearts on “evil things”. We may not see them as evil, but anything that causes God to be displeased IS evil. We too often forget that God is holy and we are not. He commands us to be holy. We are to seek after Him so that our natures are changed. When we live our life for our own reasons instead of for His purposes, we are not following Him. We must keep in mind who we are and who He is. If we want to please Him, we must have a Holy Spirit guided mindset. This mindset is contrary to our natural mindset. When we are being guided by our natural mindset, the Bible says that such people cannot please God. I want to please Him. Don’t you? Please reflect on this as it is so important.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 from the NIV:
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
