Bible Devotions for Living

God really enjoys you!

For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation. (Ps 149:4)

You know that God loves you but do you realize that God really likes you, too? It’s true. He enjoys you, and you bring Him pleasure.

He Takes Great Pleasure in You

Never forget that you are God’s child (1 Jn 3:1). Think about a human parent. They take intense pleasure and joy in their child simply because they are their child. You’ve seen the look on a mom’s face when she’s watching her young kids—she’s totally enraptured.

That is a small picture of how God looks at you. He looks down on you from Heaven and is filled with even greater pleasure in you than any parent could be with their child.

Look at this familiar verse from a different perspective:

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (Mt 5:13)

Salt makes things taste good. When you eat something that tastes good it brings you some sort of pleasure. Well, Jesus is saying that His people, including you, are the only thing that makes this sinful planet palatable to Him. You are the salt that gives the world flavor to God.

You Bring God Joy

You don’t just bring Him quiet contentment like a mom with her child; you bring Him active joy.

Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy. (Zeph 3:17)

Imagine, God literally shouts for joy over you!

The Lord likes you so much that He even asked the Father for this:

Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation. (Jn 17:24)

Yes, you bring the Lord Jesus so much pleasure and joy that He wants you to be with Him forever. Let that sink in. Jesus wants you to be with Him forever! That should tell you how much He enjoys your company.

The Joy That Drove the Cross

The joy you bring Him now is one thing that helped Him to go through the crucifixion.

Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. (Heb 12:1-2)

You were part of that joy in front of Him! You were the joy that drove Him to endure the Cross. Jesus laid down His life for you because of the joy you bring Him.

When You Feel Like a Disappointment

God takes pleasure and joy in you as His child. Never forget it. When you feel you’re a disappointment to God, keep in mind that He sees your efforts differently than you do.

Remember as a kid making some pictures and giving them to Mom or Dad? What did they do with them no matter how messy they looked? They put them up on the refrigerator to proudly display the gift from their child. I think God is the same. He’s pleased with your efforts for Him, done in love, no matter what you think of them. Imagine Him putting your works up on His refrigerator.

When you feel displeasing to God because you sin, remember when God saved you, He knew you would sin in the future, and He saved you anyway. He is not surprised when you sin and fail. When you sin, confess it, apologize, and try not to do it again. Better than any earthly parent, God forgives you and still loves you.

Understand and remember that on top of God loving you – He likes you, you bring Him so much joy that He shouts for joy over you and wants you to be with Him forever. Don’t let the devil, yourself, or anybody else convince you He doesn’t.

Summary

• God takes great pleasure in you
• You give the Lord such joy that He rejoices over you and even shouts for joy over you.
• You bring the Lord so much pleasure and joy that He wants you to be with Him forever
• You were the joy in front of Him that drove Him to endure the Cross

Think about it

Do you realize how much God likes you?

Do you know that He shouts for joy over you?

How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus wants you with Him so much that He asked the Father for it?

Never forget how much joy and pleasure you bring God. He loves you and likes you. Don’t allow the devil or your feelings make you think otherwise.

Take time now to let it sink in that you bring God joy and pleasure and likes you so much that He wants you with Him forever.