God knows all and sees all. He sees when you handle yourself the right way, and He sees when you handle yourself the wrong way. When something happens or someone does something you don’t like, do you show your displeasure in the wrong way? Does self rise up to say or do the wrong thing?

Consider Cain and Abel. When Cain brought physical fruit as an offering unto the Lord, God was not pleased with him or his offering because it was not a blood sacrifice like God had instructed. Abel pleased God with his offering because he followed God’s instructions and offered a blood sacrifice—a lamb of the firstling of his flock. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell (Genesis 4:4,5).

Then the Lord asked Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (Genesis 4:6,7). There was no legitimate reason why Cain could not have offered a sacrifice pleasing to God. He just didn’t want to do things God’s way. When God tried to reason with Cain, he should have humbled himself and offered a blood sacrifice that would have been pleasing to God; but instead, Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him (Genesis 4:8).

Cain Wanted His Own Way

How many times have Christians hurt their brothers and sisters in Christ because of jealousy? They may not have injured them physically, but they injured their character and their influence on others because they said something against them. The tongue can be a very harmful weapon.

God wanted Cain to do the right thing, but Cain let his emotions get the best of him. That allowed a murdering spirit to take him over, and he killed his brother. Once Abel was dead, there was no going back to fix the situation because it was too late.

When you say or do something that hurts someone, you can’t take it back. You may apologize, but the damage has already been done. When self is on the throne of your heart, you will eventually say or do the wrong thing; and God will not be pleased.

Everything changed for Cain the day he killed his brother, and his life was hard. If he had humbled himself and yielded to God’s instructions, things would have been different. Many Christians today have it hard because they want to do things their own way. If you suffer, let it be for Christ’s sake. Let it be to further the Gospel and increase the Kingdom in this final hour.

Paul Did Not Yield to the Flesh

Paul suffered so much when he became a Christian, but it was not because he was displeasing God. Paul was standing in the place God wanted for him. When a messenger of Satan kept hindering Paul and making things harder for him, Paul prayed three times for the Lord to remove that hindrance; but the Lord said, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).

Then Paul said, Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (II Corinthians 12:9,10). Paul yielded to the Spirit of God, and God was well pleased.

Paul said, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:5,8). When self is on the throne, you are yielding to the flesh; so you must put self down every day and yield to the Holy Spirit no matter how you feel. Just one mistake can cause so much pain and sorrow, and you will miss many blessings from God.

The Israelites Grumbled to Moses

Moses was a great man of God; but one day, he let his emotions get the best of him. Moses and the Children of Israel were in the desert of Zin, and they had no water. The people came against Moses and Aaron crying, Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink (Numbers 20:5).

Moses and Aaron went to the tabernacle of the Lord and fell on their faces before Him, and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them (Numbers 20:6). Moses and Aaron were seeking God’s direction; and the Lord said to Moses, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink (Numbers 20:8). God wanted the Israelites to see a great miracle so they would glorify Him and learn to depend on Him for their needs.

That was the second time the Israelites lacked water. The first time was shortly after they had left Egypt. God had told Moses and Aaron, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel (Exodus 17:6). But in the desert of Zin, God did not tell Moses to strike the rock but to speak to it. The miracle was supposed to be different.

Moses’ Great Mistake

Moses followed God’s directions and gathered the people together before the rock; but instead of speaking to the rock like God had told him to, he struck the rock as he had in Horeb. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also (Numbers 20:10,11). I’m sure Moses was fed up with all the grumbling and complaining from the people, but he should not have let how he felt affect his obedience to God; yet he did.

Moses said that he and Aaron were fetching the water out of the rock when it was the hand of God doing it. Also, God had not told Moses to smite the rock twice but to speak to it. Even so, the water did flow, and the Israelites and their animals were satisfied; but God was not pleased with how Moses had handled himself. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them (Numbers 20:12).

It doesn’t matter how much you do for the Lord. If you are not obedient to Him in all things, you will have to pay; and Moses paid a great price that day. He had led the Israelites out of Egypt and endured all their complaining as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years; but because he had not believed and sanctified the Lord, he was not able to finish the mission and bring the people into the promised land.

Yield to God’s Instructions

Child of God, you must know that the devil is working hard to get you to yield to the flesh instead of the Spirit so you will be left behind when the Rapture takes place. Jesus is coming for a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). When you say and do things God is not pleased with, you will have spots and wrinkles. If you are pleasing God in all things, your garment will be spotless and perfect.

God expects us to use our faith and glorify Him for all the wonderful works He does. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). You had to use faith to be able to accept Jesus Christ into your heart, and that pleased God.

At the end of each day, you should ask yourself, “Did I please God today?” If you are sincere, the Holy Spirit will let you know whether or not God is pleased. The Holy Spirit is to be your teacher and guide. You must listen to Him and yield to Him.

You will have times of reproof and correction from the Lord; and when you accept them, you will grow in Him. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (Hebrews 12:11). Cain didn’t believe what was being shown to him about his failing, so he yielded to the fruit of death and unrighteousness instead of the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding (Proverbs 15:32). When you accept God’s instructions, He will help you and give you understanding. The Holy Spirit will lead you in the right direction when you are willing to yield to those teaching moments.

Saul Gave in to Disobedience

King Saul is another example of one who didn’t obey God and yield to His instructions. It cost him his kingdom and eventually, his soul. King Saul started out humble and obedient, but self eventually rose up; and God was no longer on the throne of his heart.

God had chosen Saul to be king; and He told the prophet Samuel, Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel (I Samuel 9:16). Then Samuel told Saul, And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man (I Samuel 10:6).

Saul had everything he needed to become a great leader. God even continued to use Samuel to guide and direct King Saul in the ways of the Lord, but Saul didn’t yield to those teaching moments like he should have; and he let self and his emotions get the best of him.

There was a time when Saul should have waited on Samuel at Gilgal like he had been told to do so they could make a sacrifice and ask for God’s blessing, but Saul got tired of waiting for Samuel. Then he assumed the role of a priest and performed Samuel’s duties. When Samuel did arrive, he said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee (I Samuel 13:13,14). That was just the beginning of King Saul’s continual disobedience toward God.

Saul’s Great Downfall

The Bible tells of a time when Saul had been instructed to kill all the Amalekites, including men, women, children and even the livestock; but Saul spared the Amalekite king and the best of the animals. Then God told Samuel, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments (I Samuel 15:11).

Saul was so deceived about what he had done that when Samuel met him the next day, Saul said, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD (I Samuel 15:13). Like Saul, many Christians today think they are pleasing the Lord, but they have deceived their own hearts and are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. It's sad when people don’t understand the importance of obeying God’s Word.

Because of Saul’s disobedience, the Spirit of God departed from him. He was no longer the king he should have been, and he was tormented by evil spirits. Saul even visited a witch for counsel after Samuel died, and he eventually committed suicide. God loved Saul, but He didn’t love his ways.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God loves us so much that He was willing for His Son to die on the Cross so we could have eternal life in Heaven one day, but you will never see Heaven if you follow the path of disobedience Saul did.

Choose What Is Most Important

When Jesus was visiting Martha and Mary, Martha was busy trying to do everything she could to serve Him. She was upset that her sister was sitting at Jesus’ feet instead of helping her; so she said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me (Luke 10:40).

In the natural, it would seem right that Mary should have been helping Martha be a good host; but instead of agreeing with Martha, Jesus said, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41,42). Jesus knew that the Word of God was more important than serving, and Mary had chosen what was pleasing to God.

Jesus is our example, and the Bible tells of many times when Jesus gave up food and rest to do the will of His Father. Having fellowship with the Lord is more important than any of what we might consider to be the necessities of life. Yes, food and rest are important; but when you are in the presence of the Lord, He can feed your soul and give you rest that goes beyond the physical.

You have to become more sensitive to the Spirit than you are to your physical needs. When you put the Lord first, He said He would take care of you. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

Put God First

When you go into your prayer chamber to pray, is your mind distracted or troubled about the cares of life; or are you sitting at the feet of the Master like Mary was and ready to be spiritually fed? God loved Martha, but her ways were not in harmony with Heaven. She lacked spiritual understanding, and it showed up later when Jesus came to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead.

Jesus had received word that Lazarus was sick; but instead of rushing to his bedside to heal him, Jesus said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby (John 11:4). Then Jesus stayed where He was for two more days before going to Lazarus’ house.

By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had died. His funeral had taken place, and a stone had been placed in front of his tomb. Martha went out to meet Him and said, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again (John 11:21-23).

Jesus plainly told Martha that Lazarus would live again, but Martha thought He was talking about the time of the resurrection; and she said, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world (John 11:24-27).

Jesus asked to be taken to Lazarus’ tomb. Then He said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God (John 11:39,40)?

Instead of obeying and pleasing the Lord and having the stone removed, Martha was more concerned about her brother’s body stinking. When the Lord tells you to do something, you must listen to Him and obey no matter what you or others might think. Only then will you see His glory. Don’t let anything get in the way of you pleasing God.

Jonah Would Not Obey

The Bible says, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). The devil is like a lion in search of prey, and he seeks our weaknesses. Our mission is to lead souls to Christ, but you can’t help do that if you are being led away by the devil in the opposite direction.

Jonah is a prime example of that. Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me (Jonah 1:1,2). God wanted Jonah to warn those people that He was going to destroy them if they did not repent, but Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because he knew those pagan people had been oppressing the Israelites for centuries. If you want to please God, you have to obey His instructions regardless of what your personal opinion may be.

You can’t pick and choose those you want to show mercy and love to or those you want to share the salvation message with. God loves everyone, not just a select group of people; and His plan of redemption is for everyone. As a child of God, you must help share the Gospel with the whole world. Everyone needs to know the truth and have an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ.

Jonah Wanted His Way

Unfortunately, Jonah felt justified in his feelings toward the people of Ninevah, and he decided that he would flee from God’s request. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). You might think at the time that your ways are right, but does God think your ways are right?

God had to send a whale after Jonah to make him realize that God was not happy with his ways. He had been thrown off the ship he was on because it was about to go down in a storm, and Jonah had admitted that it was because he was running from God. Then the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). Will God have to send a whale after you to get you to realize He is not pleased with you? God didn’t give up on Jonah because there were souls in Nineveh at stake. God doesn’t want to give up on any of us either because there are souls marked for each of us to win.

After being in the belly of the whale for three days, Jonah finally humbled himself and said, But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9). The whale then spit him out on shore, and he went forth to deliver the warning to the people of Nineveh.

It can be very frustrating trying to deal with someone who doesn’t want to follow your instructions, and I’m sure God was frustrated with Jonah. How many times has the Lord sent a whale after you to try to get you to obey Him? God loves you; but if you’re not following the instructions He has put in the Bible for you, you are not pleasing Him just as Jonah was not. You can’t afford to let the devil distract you and lead you down the wrong path.

Give Everything to God

Jesus always pleased God. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice from Heaven spoke and said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased (Luke 3:22). Self was not on the throne of Jesus’ heart. He didn’t care about His own personal needs, only about the mission He was on for the Father.

If you really want to know if God is pleased with something you are about to do, you need to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” God loved everything about Jesus and His ways when He lived on Earth, and He is our example. If you handle yourself the way Jesus would have, then God will be pleased.

The Bible says, Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful (Colossians 3:12-15). These are the things that please God.

The rich, young ruler thought he was pleasing God, so Jesus tested him. He first asked the ruler if he was keeping His commandments; and the man answered, All these things have I kept from my youth up (Matthew 19:20). Then Jesus went on to say, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me (Matthew 19:21). Jesus wanted to see if that young ruler would give up the one thing that was most important to him—his wealth—but the young man was not willing to do that.

Some people think they are perfect before God; but when He tests them, they don’t pass the test. There was nothing wrong with the young ruler being rich, but his wealth was more important to him than Jesus was.

Jesus said, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 10:37-39).

Salvation Pleases God

Friend, are you seeking a life here on Earth or a life in Heaven? The rich, young ruler missed the opportunity of a lifetime because he was not willing to see that Jesus was offering him something far more valuable than all the wealth in the world. You can’t make that same mistake.

Jesus said, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Do you believe that, and have you acted on it? The Lord wants everyone to come to Calvary and accept Jesus Christ into their heart, and God will never be pleased with you until you do. God didn’t send His Beloved Son to this Earth to be mocked, beaten, ridiculed and nailed to a Cross for no reason.

If you are not saved and pleasing God, pray with me now and say, Oh, God, save my soul. Forgive me for my sins. I have come home to serve you for the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in, Jesus. Amen. Friend, if you meant that prayer, you have Jesus Christ in your heart. That’s the first step in pleasing God.

Miracles Please God

Now that you have Jesus in your heart, it doesn’t matter what sickness or disease may be in your body. God made you; He can heal you. The Bible says, They [believers] shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). I’m a believer, so let’s pull down Heaven together, expecting God to move for you.

Lord, Heavenly Father, you know what the people’s needs are. Break their bondages and set them free. Heal them, in the holy, blood name of Jesus Christ I pray. Let everything come to normal in their bodies. Lord, we will give you all the praise, the honor and the glory for what you are doing and will be doing for them. Friend, I want to encourage you to tell others about how Jesus healed you today.

You must now go on to receive the Holy Ghost. You can’t please God without having the Spirit living and dwelling on the inside of you, and only those who are Holy Ghost-filled will be taken in the Rapture. He will give you power from On High, and you need that power.

Friend, all you have to do is praise the Lord with your whole heart. You can use the word “glory”; and as you are saying one glory right after another, let that power get greater and greater until the Holy Spirit comes in. He will take over your tongue and change all those glories into a heavenly language. Speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance is the initial evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism.