Read Psalm 135:1-12 1Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord, 2who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! 3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! 4For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. 5For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. 7He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 8He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast; 9who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; 10who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, 11Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 12and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
There is a balance that must be struck each and every time we come before God in praise. First we must praise God for his goodness. For the pleasantness of his name. For the grace filled choosing of his people before they did anything right. But also, we must come before God praising him for his sovereignty. Balancing out our recognition of God’s goodness, kindness, and grace with the recognition of God’s self-centered will – whatever he pleases he does.
God does whatever HE pleases. Not what we please. His goodness and grace are not found in him doing whatever we ask, in our timing, on our schedule. No. God is above all gods precisely because he cannot be manipulated, appeased, or persuaded.
God’s goodness and grace, and his self-centered, sovereign will are not in combat with one another in any way. God is good to us in Christ because he wants to be. God saves us in Christ because he wills to save us. God was not persuaded to send Jesus, and Jesus was not persuaded to come to Earth to rescue us. The sending and the going were part of God’s eternal plan, from before time began.
Christian, you can be sure that you didn’t earn, merit, or deserve God’s love. Nor did you persuade, convince, or cajole God into loving you. No, God loves you because he loves you. He loves you because he loves himself. He loves you because Christ did what pleased him and joined his life to yours.
To live is Christ is to live knowing that it pleased God to save you in Christ.
You: Do you still try to manipulate God in some way?
You in Christ: How is your union with Christ proof that God is pleased with you?
Christ in you: How might today be different if you really believed that you please God?
Pray: Father, it pleases you to unite to me. May it please me just as much. Amen.
To Live is Christ 