Monday, August 21, 2023
What Makes God Happy
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NLT)
Sometimes when we look back on our lives, we might think, “If I would have known then what I know now, I would have done things differently to have a better life.”
When you get down to it, that is what we all want: a better life.
In John 10, Jesus tells us what life ought to be about and essentially reveals the meaning of our lives. He said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (verse 10 NLT).
Often the Bible will contrast two things to teach us a certain principle. For example, in Matthew 7 Jesus spoke about the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction (see verses 13–14).
And in the same chapter, Jesus contrasted the wise man who built his house on the rock with the foolish man who built his house on the sand (see verses 24–27).
When we read these passages, we need to look at the contrast, at the choices that life presents. Here in John 10, Jesus contrasts two options for life. He was saying, “Here is the devil’s plan. And here’s My plan.” The devil’s plan is to steal, kill, and destroy. On the other hand, Jesus has come to give us a rich and satisfying life.
Why does He want to do this for us? He gives us the answer in the next verse: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:11 NLT).
The word “good” that Jesus used is full of meaning here. It not only means good in a moral sense, but it also could be translated “beautiful,” “winsome,” “lovely,” and “attractive.”
Therefore, Jesus is our beautiful, attractive, winsome, lovely Shepherd. And the Shepherd’s purpose for us is that we would flourish.
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