God enjoys us?!
So many people have wrong notions about God. Perhaps you think God is:
- A mean strict father waiting to punish you when you mess up
- Apathetic and uncaring
- Too busy
- Just puts up with you
Nothing could be further from the truth!
If you doubt God’s longsuffering, look at how He dealt with the Israelites, His chosen people. Time and time again they turned from Him, yet He never rejected them.
It has never been God’s desire to be estranged from us. He longs for us to be in a right relationship with Him. Why? So we can experience mutual delight in each other. He created us for that very reason.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Rev 4:11 KJV)
Listen to God’s heart on the matter:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Lk 13:34)
…The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the LORD your God…and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut 30:9-10)
I myself said, “How gladly would I treat you like my children…. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.” (Jer 3:19)
God desires to delight in you and you in Him!
But it’s not automatic.
God loves us no matter what, but He doesn’t always like our actions or attitudes.
Enjoyment is conditional upon being and remaining in a right relationship with Him.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (Jn 15:10-11, emphasis added)
If you want to mutually enjoy God you need to:
- Be in a right relationship with Him, made possible through Christ’s redemptive work
- Remain in a right relationship with God through obedience
- Accept God’s truth that He does indeed enjoy you if you have a heart after Him (Deut 30:10)
- Actively seek to nurture your relationship with your Maker
If you make an effort to…
~Learn about who God is and how He works
~Think about God throughout the day and increase your awareness of Him
~Develop a grateful attitude, praising and thanking Him
You will grow in your mutual enjoyment of God.
As you grow in your knowledge, understanding, and acceptance that God truly loves and enjoys you, you will begin to enjoy Him more and more. You will discover through experience how good and kind He is; how perfect, faithful, and loving He is toward you. Out of utter awe and gratitude you won’t be able to stop yourself from loving Him in return!
My friend, your heavenly Father wants you to know experientially that you are loved, that He takes pleasure in you. He wants to give you His joy. He is more than capable of teaching you—if you want it.
I have struggled most of my life with feeling unloved and devalued—now I know the truth that I am precious in His sight. It’s been quite a long journey, but it doesn’t have to take that long for you. I can help you get on the right path and shorten your trip. That’s why I’ve written extensively on this topic—3 books in fact (see below).
Hear God say to you:
“For I am the Lord, your God…your Savior…. You are precious to me…and I love you.” (Is 43:4 NLT)
Helpful Resources
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10 Tips to Increase Your Awareness of God (Free PDF)
His Joy Will Be My Joy Blog
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If you’re not sure you have a personal relationship with God PLEASE click here.
Unless indicated all Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
(KJV) King James Version
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.