for the one who draws near to Him must believe that
He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6, HCSB)
In a Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown says to Lucy, “You know what I wonder? Sometimes I wonder if God is pleased with me.”
Then he turns to Lucy and asks, “Do you ever wonder if God is pleased with you?”
With a very satisfied, smug look on her face, she smiles and says, “He just has to be.”
But no, Lucy, He doesn’t have to be. There is nothing in you or anyone else which makes us pleasing to Him. You may be a beautiful person, but all others see when they look at you is skin stretched over a skeleton. Your skin may be smooth and blemish-free, but time will rob that from you. You may be very athletic, but age will eventually steal that from you. You may have accomplished a lot of things in your lifetime, but inside, you’re still a sinner.
No, Lucy, God does not have to be pleased with you. But that’s doesn’t mean that it is impossible to please God. He’s already told us what it takes to please Him.
It’s faith. Pure, simple, unadulterated, uncomplicated, childlike faith. In fact, the Scripture says that we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). It has nothing to do with how pretty you are, Lucy, or how well you are liked, or in your case, how much you bully others. Without faith, you cannot please God—not you, not me, not anyone else.
It’s sad, but your attitude is very common in the human race. Especially in our day does it seem that we are filled with pride in ourselves, our accomplishments, and even in our rebellion against God Himself. We are proud to proclaim that we sin. We revel in our defiance. We bask in our disobedience.
So, Lucy, don’t make it harder than it is. Simple faith is what it takes. It delights God’s Great Heart when one of His creatures believes Him enough to follow Him in simple and humble faith.
Yes, it’s kind of humorous in a comic strip. But it’s not so funny in real life. Since God Himself told us that we cannot please Him without it, it may be that placing your faith in Him is the single most important thing you can ever do. And today is the best time to do it.
--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com