““Pleasing” does not mean bowing and scraping. It doesn’t mean struggling to be good. “Pleasing” means “walking with God.””

 ““Pleasing” does not mean bowing and scraping. It doesn’t mean struggling to be good. “Pleasing” means “walking with God.””

TEXT:

Chapter 9, Page 87 –

What is the most important characteristic of a steward? Let’s look at Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (italics supplied). The most important characteristic of a steward is faithfulness.

And what is faithfulness?

Let’s go to the faithfulness chapter – Hebrews 11. Specifically read Hebrews 11:5. “By faith Enoch was taken up.” (Familiar, isn’t it?) From our previous conversation we know that Enoch was taken up – but why? And what did his faith have to do with it? (This should be looking very familiar to you!) Look at the last part of the verse. “. . . before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.” Now very quickly turn to Genesis 5:24. “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

Compare those two Scriptures. “. . . he was pleasing to God.” “Enoch walked with God.” Do you see it? They mean the same thing.

“Pleasing” does not mean bowing and scraping. It doesn’t mean struggling to be good. “Pleasing” means “walking with God.” The word in Hebrew means being in intimate friendship with, trusting in, wanting to be like.

In what does Enoch trust? What does it say in Hebrews 11:6? (A verse that we’ve always found to be a bit of a mystery, but one which I hope that you now have a better understanding of.) “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” That is, without faith it is impossible to want to be in intimate relationship with – to trust in – to want to be like God. Without faith it is impossible to walk with Him. It’s always about relationship.