“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Think of a time when you believe God may have been pleased with you. Were you serving selflessly in some way? Were you showing sacrificial love to someone in need? It might be strange for you to think about God being pleased by you, that He could look at you and not shake His head in disdain but would smile in delight at who you are. But that is exactly who God is—He loves you and is pleased by you, not because of what you do, but because of your faith in Him.

God is not mad at us or disconnected from us. Rather, He loves us and wants to delight in us. He’s looking for people who are looking for Him. He’s looking for people with faith because faith compels us to draw near to Him. When we draw near to God, we pray to Him, believing that He is who His Word says He is, and He is able to do what He promises. When we pray to Him in this way, He is pleased and lavishes His love out on us. Faith circularly impacts our relationship with God.

You were created for this. Believe in God. Draw near to Him. Experience His power.

• Name a situation where you need to exercise more faith in order to seek God and trust Him.

• Pray: Thank God that He is always present with you, delighting in you and making Himself known to you because of Jesus. Ask Him to help you look for Him in every circumstance of every day, and to walk with Him in faith.