What pleases God? We might answer: being a good person, going to church, helping people, and so forth. Although a “good work” in and of itself does not bring displeasure to God, it is not, according to Scripture, what brings pleasure to Him. God is looking for those who will believe, rely on, and have confidence in Him. When we believe, lean, rely, and trust in Him- He is exceedingly pleased. The triune God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, desires the opportunity to have a genuine loving relationship with us and to prove that He rewards and favors those who earnestly seek Him. We must first believe that He exists-and then seek Him with our whole heart.
In the “hall of faith” (Hebrews 11), both men and women believed God! Their lives were controlled by faith. Some saw their faith become sight, but some did not see their faith come to pass while on this side of eternity, but ‘died in faith,’ as their souls left this world to experience eternal life in the realm of heaven. Their faith remained alive and was pleasing to God, because it did not falter. They kept on believing!
Furthermore, without belief in God, there is no faith, and without faith there can be no satisfying relationship with Him. God will always love us, even if we don’t have faith, because He is powerful, unconditional love. Nevertheless, when we believe and our faith is alive, it brings delight and is pleasing to God. He is the powerful One who bestows glorious rewards on each believer that earnestly and diligently seeks Him out while living in time and space on planet earth.
“But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]: (Hebrews 11:6).
