Great Plains Daily Devotional for 8/23/2020

Hebrews 13:16

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Stanley called me a couple of days ago. I did not know who Stanley was. He said that he is my neighbor in Pitkin,
Colorado. He is a man that moved into a house in Pitkin last summer. We visited two or three times. He said, “I drove by your house this morning, and I have been watching for your vehicle, but since there has not been one, I thought that I should check on you.” Stanley is going to be a great person to have as a neighbor.

 When we do something loving and neighborly, I believe that God finds it pleasing. I have come to think about what a response to our pleasing God would look like.

Hebrews 13:16, “Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”

It is wonderful that we have a personal and intimate relationship with our God. I must admit that I find this mysterious and hard to put into my systematic theology. Does God smile when She is pleased? Since we do not believe in works righteousness, what happens? There must be something that happens when we please God. I do not get a reward for helping someone in need. I choose to describe the mystery as “God’s nod.” Just a nod in our direction recognizing the thing that we have done that pleases Him.

I John 3:22, “We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”

Prayer for Reflection

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Psalm 124
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20