A Life That Pleases God

Day three hundred sixty

I woke with a heart filled with gratitude for such a wonderful Christmas.  It was truly one of the better Christmas Days for my family.  We shared some spiritual moments, some gifts, some good food, and even some laughs!  I got to share my love for the Lord and the love of my family all in one day!  I think I would like to have more of these moments outside of the Christmas holiday.  Sounds like I've got something to add to my New Year's list already!

Psalm 15
What are the qualifications of a life that pleases God?  It’s a scary thing to approach God. The qualifications aren’t so easy.  If you don’t approach God in the right way, you could die (think of Uzzah touching the Ark).  This is something that David was thinking about when he wrote Psalm 15.  David lists eleven things that God desires for those who want to be close to Him:

1) verse 2 - He that walketh uprightly
Life is lived by making a series of choices, steps, walking. To walk uprightly means to be blameless, complete, sincere, perfect; having integrity; what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact.  A person’s overall life is to be one that is blameless and sincere.

2) verse 2 - and worketh righteousness
This means living in harmony with God’s standards.  One of the works of righteousness we are expected to do is to share the gospel.  The most important thing about getting the gospel out is that WE do it.  We carry the message in our hearts, but we share it with words and actions.

3) verse 2 - and speaketh the truth in his heart
Honesty with yourself. God is looking for people who will be genuine.  People who will be honest in their actions and their heart.  It's not just the image that we project to others, God is concerned that we learn to speak the truth on the inside of our heart as well.  God is looking for people who will be real with others and with their own selves.

4) verse 3 - He that backbiteth not with his tongue
Don't slander others. Slander means to make malicious, false, and defamatory statements about someone. Slandering, telling stories, and gossiping about others can cause great harm.  These are not the things that please God.

5) verse 3 - nor doeth evil to his neighbour
This falls under the love thy neighbor as thyself commandment. (See Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31; Matt 22:39)

6) verse 3 - nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour
Don't be judgmental.  We don't know everyone's story, so we can't possibly know enough about a person to judge them correctly.  Only God can truly judge a person.

7) verse 4 - In whose eyes a vile person is contemned
Contemned means to despise, hold in contempt; worthless.  It’s important to God that we call bad things bad and good things good.

8) verse 4 - but he honoureth them that fear the LORD
We need to admire the right heroes. The person God is pleased with calls evil bad and right good.  It’s not wrong to have heroes.  Just have the right ones.  Look to people who know and follow the Lord.

9) verse 4 - He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not
God is pleased with the person who will keep their promises even if it hurts them.

10) verse 5 - He that putteth not out his money to usury
This is the person who doesn’t try to make themselves rich at the expense of others.

11) verse 5 - nor taketh reward against the innocent
This person can’t be bribed to hurt an innocent person.

At one point the Law of Moses contained around 613 commandments about pleasing God. David simplifies it to a list of eleven things. Later, Jesus simplified it even more, to two things, loving God and loving your neighbor (Matt. 22:35-40).  Yet even with these things simplified, we find that we fall short.  God knows this; that’s why God sent His Son.

It's not about being 100% perfect in each of these areas all the time, it's about living a life that pleases God.  A life that includes doing our best in each of these areas and letting Him help us where we lack.  It means living a life where we trust Jesus.  When we do this, we shall never be moved (v 5).   What an awesome promise; stability in our walk with Christ.