living to please God

This has been a great week.  It began with the “Walk to Emmaus” that I was part of where I got to share, pray and assist a bunch of wonderful people.   Then our family was blessed with a visit from my oldest brother Steve who preached at The Community last Sunday when I was gone, and we spent some good time together that evening.  Steve really is one of my biggest encouragers.  I think our church family really enjoyed hearing from him (the comments have been awesome).  The week went on with lots to do at church and sharing with people, and the week ended with Julie and I attending a banquet with our oldest daughter, Rebecca, as she received the school systems’ academic excellence award with about 25 other students.

That has made this a full week.  It has been full because it is busy.  It has been full because my emotions have been all over the place.  But it has also been full because of the blessings of God.  Thinking in that direction I would like to share with you a couple thoughts from people who speak in to my heart.

Sumner Wemp was one of my professors in Bible college.  He has since passed away, but I remember his fiery love for God, for leading others to Christ and for insisting that those who follow Jesus do so with high standards.

Dr. Wemp wrote:

Luke 3:22

This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

You are His son, is He well pleased? 

The carnal minded can't please Him "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace... So then they that are walking in the flesh cannot PLEASE GOD.  But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" Romans 6-9.  They that are walking in the flesh cannot please God.  One of the wonderful ministries of the Holy Spirit, as we walk in the Spirit, is to enable us to PLEASE GOD!  Nothing could be finer! 

I want to please God.  When I see my kids enjoy something I provided for them or enjoy life or excel at something, it gives me great pleasure.  Our Heavenly Father has the same joy and pleasure from us.  We are His kids too!

Another of the people who speaks in to my life has also passed.  Catholic Priest Henri Nouwen wrote devotionally in a way that opens my thoughts, my heart and my hands to serve.  Through the busyness of life we have to reflect on our God.

Father Nouwen wrote:

A Still Place in the Market

"Be still and acknowledge that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).  These are words to take with us in our busy lives.  We may think about stillness in contrast to our noisy world.  But perhaps we can go further and keep an inner stillness even while we carry on business, teach, work in construction, make music, or organize meetings.

It is important to keep a still place in the "marketplace."  This still place is where God can dwell and speak to us.  It also is the place from where we can speak in a healing way to all the people we meet in our busy days.  Without that still space we start spinning.  We become driven people, running all over the place without much direction.  But with that stillness God can be our gentle guide in everything we think, say, or do.

For further reflection ...

Psalm 19: 14 NIV

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Both entries, from Wemp and Nouwen, were in some of their publishes writings (either book or online) that I receive through occasional email devotions.  What I understand about my life is that I need reminders from time to time to place my attention on God, place my world on hold and spend important moments reflecting.  God uses those moments to help me be pleasing to Him.