Christianity Oasis Forum

[Netchaplain]

I believe it to be a blessing to humbly seek God’s word for us through others who are well learned in the Scriptures, evidenced by the material they present. Such is the following article which I believe exemplifies tenderness in those who share what the Spirit has taught them, and in turn teaches us, and through us to others, and so on.
- NC


His Pleasure

In these days in which we live, there is great need that we be more quiet before the Lord. Just to enter into, and abide in such intimate fellowship with Him that we may at all times feast on that fruit of the Spirit which is Love, Joy, Peace, etc. (Gal 5:22, 23). These verses are just a picture of what our Lord Jesus Christ is, and what He wants to be to every one of His dear ones. This is very precious to the heart that has tasted that the Lord is good. Oh, that we might enter more into the mind of our Father about the One whose infinite loveliness is His daily delight, Who always pleases Him, Who rejoices always before Him (Mat 17:5; Pro 8:30).

But when we are rejoicing in His love, do we ever stop to think of His happiness? We sing, “That will be glory for me.” How much more blessed to sing, “That will be glory for Him.” Oh, that we might so forget self so as to be able to live before Him just to minister to His own loving heart, just to give Him joy (uninterrupted in eternity—NC). No one was ever happy who was seeking happiness. Only those who taste of real joy are those seeking to give joy to the heart of another. We come to Him many times to have our own needs met but do we ever come just to satisfy the longings of His own heart of love?

He is seeking worshipers, those who will speak His real worth, His beauty, His glory. Has He found them in us? Have we been seeking to give Him the joy that was before Him when He endured the Cross, when He paid the awful price of our “redemption”? Will our only joy in the glory be that we are saved and made like Him? Will not the joy of knowing that He is satisfied, that He has been able to rejoice, far transcend all this?

Ah, beloved, we are so prone to look at everything from our own standpoint, from the effect it will have on us instead of its relation to Him. We may have wept with Him over cold stony hearts. Have we ever rejoiced with Him because He found His sheep? How often we deny Him the time that His loving heart craves under the pretense of being too busy in His service. Dr. C.I. Scofield says, “I grow so weary of the constant spurring of God’s people to service, service, service; as if any father ever did care so much to have his children toiling for him as much as loving and trusting him.”

Oh, that we might ask under every circumstance, “Will this bring joy to His loving heart?” We may be doing many things that are not actually evil, but do they contribute to His joy? How much we need to become better acquainted with Him; to have Paul’s heart-hunger: “That I may know Him.” To know Him better will lessen our desire to know anything else, for He is the fullness of the Father. In Him is comprehended all that the Father has for us from the moment we are saved to the countless ages of eternity.

Yet a little while, and we shall be forever with Him. Will we regret that we spent not much time alone with Him while in this wilderness scene of death? My heart longs for that time when I shall never again grieve Him.

How patient, how gentle He has been with every one of us. What must it mean to Him who gave everything to purchase us from eternal death and for Himself, to have us show no concern about His happiness and satisfaction, to have us occupied with everything but Himself!

- Unknown