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The Fragrance of God’s Love

20 Apr
The Fragrance of God’s Love

I’ve been posting about how we’re to love God. In my last article we saw how this involves an imitation of His love for us. Today, I want to continue along those lines.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

We’re told that our lives should portray a love like that of Christ. But, what does it mean to live a life of love just as Christ did? It’s obvious that He showed us a sacrificial love. This kind of love becomes a sweet-smelling fragrance before God.

This tells me that in order to love God we must use His perfume.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 NIV

Because of His work in us, we give off the same spiritual aroma as Christ did. Of course this assumes that we hang around Him.

I remember a time when I was at a church retreat. We had some great times around a campfire at night. We sang and I cooked s’mores over the fire. I remember distinctly that when I arrived home, my clothes still smelled like smoke.

In the same way, if you spend time in His presence, you’ll begin to smell like Him. People won’t know why, but they’ll know your life is different because of the love of God in you.

The next verse after the one above says that to some it will smell like death, and to some it will smell like life. We need His perfume to cover the stink of our flesh.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

John 12:3 NIV

Here we see Mary, Martha’s sister, pouring out an expensive perfume as an act of worship. The fragrance filled the house. Some who smelled it thought it was a wonderful gift. Others thought it was a waste of money.

It’s the same for us. Some think that a life lived for Christ is a beautiful thing. To others it’s a waste of time. There’s too many other things that they’d rather do.

However, if you want people to see the Lord in you, there’s no other way.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NIV

This verse brings an important question to mind. Will people take note that you’ve been with Jesus? Will God’s love radiate out of you? Will you spread everywhere the aroma of Christ?

It’s time to let God’s love work a love for Him in you. Let it rub off on you. Start allowing your life to pick up the fragrance of Christ.

Question: How have you seen others affected by the love of Christ in you?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2026 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk

 

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Imitating God’s Love

17 Apr
Imitating God’s Love

In my last post, I started to talk about loving God. We can’t begin to love Him properly without first experiencing the love of Christ.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children…

Ephesians 5:1 NIV

We’re to imitate the Lord as dearly loved children. Notice that he does not say that we’re dearly loved people. He calls us children because it implies relationship. In this relationship is the principle of imitation.

That’s because in order to love God correctly, we must imitate His love. Being a part of God’s kingdom is a family relationship. Imitation is a big part of family life.

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

1 Corinthians 4:15-16 NIV

Notice that because we’re in a family relationship, we must, therefore, imitate those who are further along than us. That’s what a family relationship is all about. This is why Paul could say, “I became your father – so imitate me.”

When you have a loving relationship between father and child, there’s a desire to imitate.

“I want to be just like him.”

There’s always a desire to imitate those we love. Wherever you place your love, there’s a tendency to imitate. Married couples tend to pick up some of the other’s traits. “Gangs” do the same sort of thing.

Those that you give your devotion to become objects of imitation. But that only comes by time spent with those persons.

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 48:9 NIV

This is an interesting verse in the original Hebrew. There’s actually no English word to translate the word, meditate, accurately. It means to consider, resemble, compare, or liken.

It’s saying that when I come into your presence, I begin to think deeply about who you are compared to who I am. Then I start to consider what I can do to resemble you. But, I have to experience His love in order to meditate on it to this level. Thank God, I have His Holy Spirit to guide me.

The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I become like Him. It’s not a matter of trying harder to be like Jesus. Imitation is a natural outgrowth of a close relationship.

It’s just like what happens in a natural family. We pick up the traits of those we live with. This includes attitudes and temperament. It also affects our likes and dislikes. It determines how we view the world around us.

For instance, I don’t really care about watching sports, which some people think is very weird. However, that’s simply because my parents never watched any sports while I was growing up. So it’s something I never got a taste for.

It works the same way in the spiritual world. By spending time with the Lord, I can begin to pick up His attitudes. I will start to love what He loves and dislike what He dislikes. I find myself treating people the same way that Christ did.

It doesn’t happen immediately. But, over time, I begin to recognize the changes taking place in me.

Spend quality time in the Lord’s presence. That’s the way to see lasting transformation.

Question: What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in your spiritual life?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2026 in Encouragement, Prayer, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Ministers of God’s Covenant

10 Apr
Ministers of God’s Covenant

As we continue to learn about God’s covenant of love, we need to see how the work of Christ on the cross remodeled it.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 NIV

Notice that the Lord didn’t cancel the covenant, but the written code. He simply dealt with the law, the addendum to the covenant. This remodeled the covenant once again. He gave it a refresh.

This gives us a new perspective on our relationship with God.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV

He has made us qualified, enabled servants of the renewed covenant. How did the Lord make us competent to serve this covenant? By a set of rules? Absolutely not!! It’s by the Spirit!

This tells me that the covenant of love requires the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to work His will in us. Rules didn’t work.

Just read the Old Testament. Human beings don’t have the power to fulfill God’s requirements. We need God Himself working in us.

Now we have to check our attitudes. Are we merely following the rules, or are we living as friends of God?

“I’m okay – I go to church, pay my tithes, etc.”

No, it’s all about relationship. Those who only follow rules don’t understand the love of the Father. The covenant of love should drive us to please Christ.

I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.

Daniel 9:4-5 NIV

It’s this covenant of love that causes us to live a repentant lifestyle. We need to be quick to repent when prompted by the Holy Spirit.

…and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.”

1 Kings 8:23 NIV

This verse literally says that this covenant of love is kept with the Lord’s servants who walk before your face with all their heart. God wants us to turn our hearts toward Him. If I truly understand the covenant I am in – God’s covenant of love – it will change the way I serve Him.

That’s why I needed to see God’s love for me before I ever looked at what it means for me to love God. I need a revelation of God as my friend. He is emotional about me and I need to respond in the same way to Him.

Understand the covenant of love and let it change you.

Question: How does your life represent God’s love?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2026 in Encouragement, Legalism, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Commitment of Love

06 Apr
The Commitment of Love

Lately I’ve been posting about God’s love. In my last article, I started dealing with God’s covenant of love. Covenant goes much deeper than any contract.

That’s why in ancient times it was always ratified through the shedding and mingling of blood. Then, both parties could always see the scar and remember their commitment to each other.

This is because when you’re in covenant you can hold nothing back. In my last post, I talked a little about Jonathan and David.

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

1 Samuel 18:3-4 NIV

At this point in his life, David had nothing. Jonathan, on the other hand, was the king’s son. This exchange is only a shadow of God’s commitment to us.

Jonathan gave David his robe and tunic. God clothes us in His righteousness. Jonathan gave his sword, bow, and belt. We can be protected in the armor of God.

We don’t seem to get it. We keep acting like we’re under contract with God. If I do this then God will do that. God’s love for us is much deeper than this. Remember what I talked about a couple of posts ago.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 NIV

This verse shows us the covenant mindset of God. It should be an example to us. He held nothing back for us. My response should be that everything I have is His. I must hold back nothing.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Psalm 25:10 NIV

The literal Hebrew of this verse actually says that the Lord’s loving and faithful ways are for those who keep the covenant witness. This is a good way of saying it, because covenant demands commitment.

We say that we’re in covenant with God. This means that there was a shedding and mingling of blood. Christ explained this to His disciples.

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 26:28 NIV

It means that there is unconditional trust. It means that nothing is held back. It also means that we are eternally committing ourselves to the covenant. It also means that God has committed Himself to the demands of the covenant.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 NIV

This is a beautiful description of covenant. The covenant will be upheld. The only thing to ruin it is if I disown it.

In ancient times, if you broke covenant, your family would hunt you down and kill you. Breaking covenant was literally dying to the other partner. Thus the saying, “You are dead to me.”

But, being faithless – without faith – doesn’t break the covenant. God binds Himself regardless of what we think. No matter how discouraged you may get, He will not abandon you.

We may not understand what we see presently. But, we’re in a covenant of love with God. What we really need is a revelation of that covenant. We need to understand just how committed God is to us.

Question: How have you experienced God’s commitment to you?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2026 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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God’s Love and Giving

01 Apr
God’s Love and Giving

I’ve been posting about the love of God. In the last few articles, I talked about the Lord breaking the curse, sowing the Word, and His discipline. Today, I’ll move on to another important aspect of His love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 NIV

In God’s love we see the greatest example of giving. It’s not just any giving. He gave His very best. This is one of the most amazing aspects of His love.

But as I said, it should be an example to us.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:16 NIV

According to the example of Christ, love knows no limits. There’s no holding back.

The world has no concept of this. Think about it. These days prenuptial agreements are very common. We’re basically agreeing that this is mine and that is yours.

The fact is that real love gives up all – there’s no “my” in true love. It reminds me of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Scripture.

In that story, the younger son took his inheritance early and left home. When he spent it all and became destitute, he returned home. At that point, the father welcomed him with open arms and restored him to his full status as a son.

The older brother wasn’t too pleased with this.

But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

Luke 15:29-30 NIV

This older brother was upset because he never left the farm. In his mind, he acted like a slave, doing whatever his father asked of him.

Look at the words of the father to this son.

‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’

Luke 15:31 NIV

This son had no reason to be upset. He had everything he needed. He could have celebrated with his friends any time he wanted to.

It’s the same with us. Why do you feel so upset when things don’t seem to be going your way? Just remember how much the Lord has already given to you. More than that, there’s so much more that He has ahead of you.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 NIV

There are some who think that serving God is such a chore. They begrudge doing anything for the Lord. They need to see the love of God in all of its beauty.

We need to meditate on His love as well. The Lord blesses and sows His Word in us. Yes, He disciplines us, but He also gives abundantly to His children.

We need to spend time in the presence of His Holy Spirit so we can walk in this amazing love.

Question: How have you experienced God’s gracious giving?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2026 in Encouragement, The Gospel

 

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God’s Love – Sowing and Discipline

30 Mar
God’s Love – Sowing and Discipline

I’ve been posting about the beauty of God’s love for us. Since He loved us first, it’s difficult to love God without this knowledge.

In my last post, I talked about how God’s love overturns the curse into a blessing. Today, I’ll show you more important aspects of His love.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

God enjoys being with you. He longs for you to remain in His presence. It should be a place of peaceful safety for us.

The Hebrew word for quiet, in the above verse, is hard to translate. It’s main definition is to plow. Secondarily, it also means to be quiet and meditate.

This tells me that two things happen in His presence. He plows, plants His Word in us, and we meditate. In God’s love we see the sowing of His Word.

The fact is that real love sows into someone else’s life. God is the great Gardener. He plows our hearts with His love. Then we must meditate on what we see in Him.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5 NIV

God’s love is poured out from God into our hearts. He’s sowing this love into us through the Holy Spirit. If we spend time with Him, then we’ll have the resources and ability to sow into the lives of others.

Of course there’s another aspect of God’s love that we may not readily enjoy.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV

This is probably the aspect we like the least. In God’s love we see discipline. Yes, that word, discipline – we all need it – but we don’t look forward to it.

The word, discipline, means to be trained toward maturity or mastery. According to this passage, it involves two things we find uncomfortable.

First of all it requires rebuke which means we must be told our faults and failures. Secondly, it sometimes involves punishment.

How is this accomplished?

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 NIV

Punishment is a short, temporary discomfort to remind you of the of the consequences of your actions. This verse makes it clear that there’s a present uncomfortable situation and an afterwards restoration.

In the natural, with every child it’s different. With some, if you talk sternly to them they’ll burst into tears. Others, you must take away phone privileges. God deals with us in the same personal way.

If we read the whole section, however, we see that the goal is a harvest of righteousness and peace. That means He wants our health, prosperity, safety, joy, fruitfulness, and fulfillment. It’s a temporary discomfort to aim your life at the goal.

Question: How have you experienced God’s discipline in your life?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2026 in Encouragement, Power of God, Prayer, Sonship, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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God’s Love Breaks the Curse

27 Mar
God’s Love Breaks the Curse

For the past couple of posts, I’ve been sharing about the love of God towards us. I want to continue this in today’s installment.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 NIV

As I said, we’re looking at the love of God. We need to see that love so that we can truly love Him.

This verse shows us an important aspect of His love. This is the fact that God demonstrates His love – He exhibits it. We need to realize that true love can be seen.

It’s a positive participation in someone’s life. Real love is not just on the inside.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1 NIV

This verse is actually a poor translation of what the original Greek text says. John writes that we know by seeing what kind of love God has given us. In other words, God wants us to experience His love.

There’s a reason for this. He wants us to be recognized as His children. Because God’s love can be seen and experienced, we’re to show the family resemblance. How you see the world around you says a lot about how well you’ve experienced God’s love.

For instance, in the Old Testament there was a pagan spiritualist named Balaam who wanted to put a curse on Israel.

However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Deuteronomy 23:5 NIV

Because of God’s love, He turned a curse into a blessing. If we’re in God’s love, then we see blessing instead of cursing.

One of the greatest parts of love is the ability to bless someone. The verse says that God overturned the curse into blessing. Because of His love, God overturns curses.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

Proverbs 26:2 NIV

I don’t have to worry about what someone says about me or my family. There is no curse that can touch us.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Galatians 3:13 NIV

Because of God’s love I cannot be cursed unless I embrace it. It’s only if I believe what others say about me that it will affect me. It’s the same when it comes to my own thoughts.

I can’t let the lies of my mind, or the lies of the enemy, affect my future. Christ has redeemed me. He has overturned the curse into a blessing. That’s the only way I should be seeing my life.

Above all else, I need to be meditating on God’s Word. That’s where all of the blessings truly come from.

Question: How have you seen the curse overturned in your life by the power of God’s love?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2026 in Encouragement, Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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God’s Unstoppable Love

25 Mar
God’s Unstoppable Love

In my last post, I started talking about the love of God towards us. It’s amazing and infinite. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we’ll never be able to fathom it. I want to continue with this today.

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:8 NIV

We’re told something interesting about the love of God in this verse. It says that God directs His love toward us.

That word, direct, means to command. It’s like a general giving orders to those soldiers under him. It literally says that God commands His love to reach us.

I think that there’s something incredible about it. The verse makes it clear that it’s by day that He commands his love.

I think about it this way…I have three daughters. When they were little, I remember seeing them while they were sleeping. The fact is that at night, while a child is sleeping, it’s very easy to look at them with love in your heart.

This verse tells us that He commands His love when we’re awake. It’s during the daytime while we’re doing whatever we happen to be doing.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Romans 8:35 NIV

These are great questions. What can possibly put a space between you and God’s love? Can pressure, hardship, or persecution? Can hunger, danger, nakedness, or the sword? Paul then answers his own questions.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 NIV

The simple answer is – nothing! There’s no place or no one that God’s love cannot reach. Why? Because God commands it to be that way. The same command that created light, commands love to reach to you. When God commands it, nothing can stop it.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…

Ephesians 3:17b-19a NIV

This is a prayer to God. It’s a prayer for power. This power can only come from God. That’s because it takes supernatural power to grasp God’s love.

I cannot understand His love, without His power to do so. I cannot love God without knowing God. (Because God is love) I cannot know God and His love without His power at work in me. He has to reveal His love to me.

This passage tells us why we need power to grasp the His infinite love. It’s because we need to grasp or literally lay hold of this love. With His power we can know this love that’s beyond knowledge.

How can you know something that goes beyond knowledge? How can something infinite fit inside something tiny? Only by the power of God.

We need a revelation of the love of God. The more time with Him – the more we know His love.

Question: Is it your prayer to be able to grasp the infinite power of God’s love?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 25, 2026 in Encouragement, Power of God, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Understanding God’s Love

23 Mar
Understanding God’s Love

Now that I’ve finished my study in the epistle of Jude, I’m feeling led to take a small break from the New Testament series. I want to spend some time talking about our relationship with God. Specifically, His love for us, our love for Him, and the levels of our relationship with the Lord.

So let me start by asking; do you love God?

You may respond with; why would you even ask that question? Of course I love God!

The fact is that we need to understand what it truly means to love God. This series of posts will spend a few weeks exploring this subject.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

I John 4:8-10 NIV

Where do we even start to understand what it means to love God? He’s so vast, so infinite. The Scripture says that it’s not about our love for Him, but His love for us. So, to understand love, I have to understand Him.

That’s the basis, the foundation stone. If I want to know love, I must know God. The world talks about love, but it’s not the real thing they refer to.

We go to a wedding and see a couple who say that they have a love that will last forever. Five years later, they’re in court seeking a divorce.

At one point I heard a celebrity say in an interview, that they had attended a beautiful wedding. The reason was that in the vows, the couple said that they promised faithfulness “…as long as we both shall love.” It’s obvious that the world has no concept of what true love is all about.

That’s why I believe that before we say that we love God, we had better know what love is. So I’m going to start by taking a few posts to look at the love of God. Because God is love.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Psalm 59:17 NIV

There are many believers who love to study the names of God given in the Scripture. Here’s an important one we need to know. In this Psalm, David calls the Lord Elohiym-Checed. That name literally means the God who loves me. It’s important to understand that God and His love cannot be separated.

At one point, the Old Testament saint, Nehemiah, prayed the following about Israel:

They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

Nehemiah 9:17 NIV

God is abounding in love. This means that God has an over abundance of love. It’s comforting to know that God has more than enough love for us.

God is love. God is infinite. Therefore, His love is infinite. He will never run out.

Even when we blow it, God is there for us.

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 66:20 NIV

This verse clearly says that under no circumstances will God ever reject your intercessions or turn off His love for you. You will never go past the reach of His love.

God’s love is amazing. We will need the help of the Holy Spirit in order to comprehend it.

Question: How have you experienced the amazing love of God?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2026 in Encouragement, The Gospel

 

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Pleasing God

16 May
Pleasing God

We’re now going through Peter’s first epistle. In my last post, I concluded with 1 Peter 3:12. In this verse the apostle is telling us why we must relate correctly with others in the church.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:12 NIV

This is how the Lord operates. He wants to turn His eyes and ears toward us. Scripturally speaking, His eyes and ears are important. I want to look at that truth in today’s post.

I’ll start in the Old Testament.

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV

When you talk about the eyes of the Lord, we’re not speaking of physical eyes that can only see what’s right in front of them. God sees everything, all at once. This verse is talking about the Lord’s desire to reward those who are fully committed to Him.

The Lord is for us. He’s not actively seeking to punish anyone. His greatest desire is for our blessing. He’s seeking those who have, by their faith and obedience, placed themselves in a position to receive this blessing.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.

I John 5:14-15 NIV

Again, when we speak of the ears of God, we know that he hears everything. But, it’s His response to what He hears that we’re looking for.

The Lord is looking for faith. But it’s a faith that only comes from a knowledge of His will. When I spend time with the Holy Spirit, I learn God’s will. When I pray out that will, I know that I’m going to get an answer to that prayer.

However, there’s another side to this issue. Peter tells us that the Lord’s face is against those who make or do worthlessness. Literally – His face will be over you. He’s trying to get your attention.

It’s just like the Apostle Peter, when he denied the Lord during His trial. After Christ rose from the dead, He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” He was getting Peter’s attention.

Paul made an important statement in one of his letters.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

1Thessalonians 2:4 NIV

Paul’s desire was to be a follower of Christ who pleased God. We have to be careful about our view of things. God loves everyone, no matter who you are or what you’ve done. But, not everyone pleases God, or is approved of by Him.

That’s an important distinction. It begs the question; are you a God-pleaser? Are you grabbing His attention to pour out a blessing on your life? Or is the Lord trying to get your attention so you can get your life back on track with Him?

Be a God-pleaser. Grab His attention or He’ll try to get yours.

Question: How much of a God-pleaser are you?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 16, 2025 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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