Feeling His pleasure ∙

Feeling His pleasure ∙

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. – Philippians 2:13

Hebrews 13:20-21

 20 Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood –

 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Chariots of Fire, which premiered on April 9, 1982, tells the inspiring tale of two elite British athletes as they prepare for and compete in the 1924 Olympic Games.

The film is anchored in the character study of the two athletes. It delves deeply into the personalities of these athletes. Harold Abrahams is depicted as a remarkable athlete driven by exceptional talent and fierce determination. His singular pursuit is victory. His only goal is to win. Running is his obsession. His inner drive and turmoil, encapsulated by the phrase, “If I cannot win, I will not run,” Is a testament to his struggle and determination. Abrahams is portrayed as a tortured soul who feels alienated, isolated, and discriminated against due to his Jewish heritage. He reflects on his experience with the sentiment, “I am invited to the table but denied the drink.”

Eric Liddell, in contrast, is a man of faith. Devoted to his family, nation, friends, and ultimately to his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. He recognizes that the Father’s strength fuels his extraordinary drive, determination, and ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Liddell’s success is attributed to his ability to tap into the immense power provided by his faith, which bursts forth when needed.

Liddell confidently states, “Everyone runs in her own way or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, ‘Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.’ If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.”

His source of motivation is summarized in his belief, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

The Duke of Sutherland comments, “The ‘lad’ is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension of his life, its force.”

Often, children of the King may find themselves confused about how the role the Father plays in their lives. This lack of understanding can lead to a distorted perception. Many imagine the Father as a gentle, benevolent, kind, warm grandfather figure who is merely there to make us feel happy and shower us with blessings. While it’s true that He is loving, kind, and provides for us, His purpose is not to cater to our desires. He does not exist to serve us. We exist to serve Him.

The reality is that we exist for the Father. He has intricately designed every aspect of us to prepare us for the tasks He decided upon long before we were born. The Father has crafted us with His plans and purposes in mind, equipping each child of the King to serve Him in unique ways. Each of us has a special role to play according to His plan; we serve to fulfill His pleasure (Stanley). 

We are His workmanship. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10).

Our deepest fulfillment and satisfaction come from recognizing what the Father is doing and his invitation to join Him in it. We experience great joy and contentment when engaging in the tasks for which we were created. By serving Him, we feel His joy. Doing His pleasure, we feel His pleasure.

REFLECT & PRAY

Children of the King are encouraged to pray for one another, seeking to prepare each person to carry out the Father’s will in their lives.

Father, You are the Potter, and I am Your clay. You made me in order to participate in and be a part of Your work on Earth. Encourage my heart to do the good pleasure of Your will.

INSIGHT

The Father has provided us with everything needed to accomplish His will. Through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, He aims to produce within us every good thing that pleases Him (Hebrews 13:21).

The Greek term for “equip” is katartizo, which means to prepare or make suitable for a specific purpose. In this context, it refers to preparing someone for service (Wuest).

The Father desires to provide us with all that is necessary to fulfill His intentions.

There is something magnificent here that easily escapes our notice. The writer of Hebrews is not praying to get the Father to do what he desires Him to do. Instead, he is praying that the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven for every child of the King. Because we are the Father’s workmanship created to do His good pleasure, the Father is “all in” to make it happen.

Our Savior in Heaven desires to prepare us for life on Earth. With great care, He aims to mend the “broken bones” in our lives so we can walk uprightly and successfully navigate our life journeys. He wants to repair the holes in our nets so we can catch fish. Additionally, He seeks to equip us for battle, providing us with the resources to withstand life’s storms. In essence, He wants to help us grow and mature so that He can work in us and through us in a way that pleases Him and fulfills His will (Wiersbe).

2 Corinthians 9:8 God will generously provide all you need. Then, you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Eric Liddell understood this and felt the Father’s pleasure within himself when doing His pleasure. Liddell clearly had his priorities straight, “It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals” (Liddell).

Each of us is uniquely crafted by Him, equipped with the precise personality and physical attributes needed to fulfill His plan for our lives. He has endowed us with the strengths, abilities, and talents required for His purposes. Every experience in our life is used by the Father to equip us for doing His will. Both the good and challenging times shape our character, mature us spiritually, and train us to help others (Stanley).

The Father provides what we need when we need it to fulfill His purpose. The necessary resources become available as required. One key area highlighted in the New Testament regarding always having enough is the area of giving.

 2 Corinthians 9:9-13

 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving – the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

 13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.

A farmer must wait for his harvest, but the children of the King who practices grace-giving begin to reap the benefits immediately. While there are long-term rewards from our giving, there are also immediate blessings (Wiersbe).

First, we start to share the Father’s abundant grace (2 Corinthians 9:8). The concepts in this verse are astonishing: all grace, always, all sufficiency, and every good work. This does not imply that God makes every Christian wealthy in material possessions; instead, it means that the Christian who engages in grace-giving will always have what they need when they need it (Wiersbe)

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© Dr. H 2024