Dear Christian friends:

What kind of man does God like or praise? You, perhaps often question, "Does God like me?" "Am I pleasing God?"

We know that God loves all people in Jesus and gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for all. Also, for His enemies. But while God loves all people He is not pleased or satisfied with all people's life and deeds. Some satisfy and please God while others displease Him. And no one is perfect in pleasing God.

Some things we say and do please God while many other things we say and do displease Him. In our text David tells what kind of man God likes or what man satisfies God.

Let us attend to this so that God will like us more and be more satisfied with us. Let us with God's Holy Spirit and from our text attend to:


First, God says He likes a man who delights in His Words, God takes no pleasure in the ungodly, the open sinners or the know-it-all mocker. “But to this man will I look: even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.(Psalm 51:17)

And we know from the story of the Pharisee and the Publican that God justified the poor sinner who was so ashamed he couldn't even look up to heaven. All he could do was beat his breast and cry, "God be merciful to me, a sinners." (Luke 18:13)

When we in self-righteousness think God likes us better than others we are the most deceived people of all. But when you in honest shame feel that God can't possibly like you or want you and that He can only despise you and damn you, then you are really beginning to be likeable and pleasing to Him. When St. Paul by God's grace found out what the score was as regards to sin and righteousness, he confessed that he was chief among sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Once you have found out from God's Word or in some other fashion that you are a lost and condemned sinner and in spite of your sin God, loves you and forgives in Jesus His Son, you will delight in His Word which confirms and reconfirms again and again this blessed and amazing truth that Christ died for sinners.

Our text says the man whom God blessed delights in this Word and meditates on it day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2) The Psalmist in Psalm 119:72 says, "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." (Psalm 119:97) "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103) "I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments." (Psalm 119:131) “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)

Of course, you and I both know that we don't generally delight in God's Word like this. Our sporadic church attendance, our neglect of Bible reading, meditation at home and our church's poor record in Bible Class attendance plainly show this. And why can't we have delight in God's Word? It is true that sometimes it is poorly preached and poorly taught and we do have some difficulty in reading our Bibles. But, generally speaking we have good preachers, able teachers and we are a very literate nation. The mechanics are not bad. Our trouble is self-righteousness.

We're too comfortable, too healthy and too satisfied. We admit to a little sin but that we are the harlot in Simon's house or the dishonest Publican in the temple somehow escapes us and we are not poor in spirit and we don't mourn and so we don't long to see or hear of God's mercy in Christ and of course we don't hunger and thirst for improvement in holy living. May God help us to see that we are poor, sinful beings and desperately need His merciful Word of Christ Jesus.

But now you may say, "Well doesn't God like people who do good works, too. Must we only confess our sins and hear the Gospel with joy. Doesn't my good works count?"

Well, yes, God wants and expects good works and obedience from those who believe in Jesus Christ. When you accept Jesus Christ you accept Him as Savior and Lord. He is your Lord. But His isn't a lordship of fear and force. It is more of a Father Son relationship.

When it is really impressed upon us that we have been saved in great mercy then we gladly love our kind heavenly Father and do even more than the law demands.

This is shown in the text: "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3)

A tree is created by God and grows by God's water. It naturally bears fruit, and can't help but do it. So the Christian, God's good man in whom God's Spirit dwells by His Word and Sacrament can't help but do good, and do more than the law demands, go the second mile, love not only friends but enemies too etc.

God's good man knows what real goodness is and what real love is and He strives to do it and does do it by God's grace. He still fails miserably at times but there is a striving and hungering for improvement in right and holy living. You aren't this good man yet, but you ought to be on the way.

You, who in self-righteousness have not started, we plead with you to humble yourself before the holy Word of God today. If you don't one day it will be too late and God won't know you on Judgement Day. You will be like the chaff which the wind drives away.

You who have started on this way, be encouraged to keep up the fight. Let this be your encouragement: "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous."

Amen.