"You are my Righteousness, You are my Holiness
It is You who works in me, to do Your good pleasure
Not in my own strength, not even by my will,
But by Your Grace, my God, for your good pleasure."
"It is God who worketh in you, both to "will" and to "do" His good pleasure." Philipians 2:13.
What is His good pleasure? In Isaiah 53:10, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him". God put Jesus to grief, he was afflicted , in order to bring man back to Himself. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself; not holding their trespasses against them. After the appearing of the dove(Holy Spirit) above him, the heavens were opened up unto him. He then knew his purpose. He gladly suffered, knowing the finished work. It says that he learned obedience through suffering. In Isaiah, it says that his soul was afflicted. He was not just God in the flesh, he was also a man that could experience emotion, pain, and hunger. Jesus came to reveal the Father and His good pleasure unto us. That is why it is called the good news. His good pleasure unto us brings forth Life, Love, Peace, Joy, and Righteousness. His good pleasure brings us out of darkness(misperceptions and illusions), into His kingdom of Light( knowledge of Him and understanding the heart of God). His good pleasure is to free us from every fear that has held us in bondage!! His good pleasure is not only to dwell in us, but that we might dwell in Him!!! What an awesome consumation!!! Not only to have Him dwell in us, but that we would decrease and He would increase. The me, the selfishness, self-reliant, self-confident me, is being consumed in His all consuming Fire!!! which is His Love!!! if being selfish, thinking only of ourselves, thinking that we don't need anybody for anything would make us happy, give us the Peace, Joy and Righteousness that we so desire, then He would leave us alone. But, because of His great Love for us, He knows how miserable we are without knowing Him, and He wants the very best for us. He is the very best that He could ever have given us!!! We have been independent too long!! it is the time of CHANGE!!! When we have illness or disability in our lives, it is for a reason!! We all go through these things. If everything was always what we would call perfect, then why would we need Him? If everything was perfect in our eyes, we would probably be having everything our own way? Right? Perfection to us is no trouble, no sorrow, no pain or sickness. Right? How would we ever learn to be unselfish? to love unconditionally? Jesus said that we were to forgive 70X70. Right? Well, if we need to forgive 70X70, then that means that there will be reasons to forgive. When He says that we are in this world, as He is, then that means that we will know unconditional Love. How will we ever know how to unconditionally Love someone, if everyone were agreeable and loving? Everything that happens is for our benefit. For our learning, our growing, our trusiting in Him. Do we only want Him when everything is "good", or when we think that in serving Him, we will be special, and not have to go through anything at all? I'm finding that there is a place of rest in His good pleasure. His will is "good," "acceptable," and "perfect", for me. Only as we "know" that everything is for His good pleasure and for His glory, can we rest . Only as we know the depth of His Love for us, can we fully trust ourselves to be in His wonderful hands; and let Him work His marvelous work in us; His Good Pleasure!!! is Loving You!!!!!
NewCreationPhoenix