What gives the Lord pleasure?

Psalm 147:10-11 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Notice that God is totally unimpressed with our strength. What ever we have or we are is something that He gave us any way. He is not impressed by horses or any other form of power that this world can have or something created can do. He is not impressed by how much you can bench press or how fast you can run.

What impresses is God is that we fear or respect Him. He is pleased when we hope in His mercy. That is we recognize that we are nothing and have nothing that we can offer Him. That is that we recognize that we are weak and need His help.

This thought blesses me. I often think that because I am not as smart as the other guy, can’t preach as well as someone else, haven’t done as much in the ministry as others that God is disappointed in my strength and impressed by the other guy.

Don’t you see? God wants someone that will fear Him, love Him, respect Him. I can do that. God wants someone that will hope in Him, not others, not themselves but in Him. I can do that.

God is pleased when I come to Him knowing that only He can solve these problems. He is pleased when I realize that I can not carry all the load or burden. He is pleased when I realize how insignificant that I am.

There are so many things that need attention. There are so many things that I see that need doing. I want to have the answer but I can’t pull it off. Then I fear what you think of me because I do not measure up. I fear what others think. I wonder if God is pleased with me. I try but what I do just isn’t enough.

Then I read a verse like this and know that what He is looking for from me is within my power. I can fear Him. Honor and respect Him like the king that He is. I can seek His kingdom and His will. I can acknowledge that He is my only hope.

I do not know what you are facing today but I know this much. If you will fear Him and hope in Him He will be pleased. Knowing that is enough to get us through it all.