Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“God’s Pleasure”

Ephesians 1v5 “In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (NIV)

What pleases God? What gives Him pleasure?

Both at Jesus’ baptism and at his transfiguration, God the Father spoke over him, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” Jesus brought great pleasure to the Father.

Now it pleases God to adopt you and I as his sons, his children. It pleases him that you call him “Father”. It is his delight and his pleasure to welcome you, to consider you belong to him, to adopt you, to nurture you and to release you into the freedom of his kingdom.

The conception of a child can be either intended or unintended. The adoption of a child is always intentional: it involves a deliberate process of matching, choice and assignment. It is always purposeful. An adopted child who was being teased on the school playground responded, “Your parents got landed with you, but my parents chose me.” So with our Heavenly Father, he chose you just as you are!

Why did he choose you? It was “in love” for you (see start of above quote).

How could he adopt you, as you are, warts and all? It was by his “glorious grace” (1v6). His grace means he does not treat us as our sins deserve, but forgives all our faults and embraces us for the new creation we are in Christ Jesus.

May you know the Father’s choice and love today,

With love and blessing,

Roland