We were created for His pleasure. He redeemed us to spend eternity with Him. Does that mean we will have no pleasure in heaven, that it’s all about “making God happy”?

Absolutely not.

In His presence is fullness of joy. At His right hand pleasures forevermore. Jesus is at the right hand of the father. In Him alone we find all joy and pleasure. We will share in the joy of God- as He will say to us, “enter in to the joy of your master.”

God will not have pleasure at our expense. He will not be pleased while we are bored, unfulfilled, or unsatisfied. We will share in His joy. We were created for His pleasure- for all eternity we will be satisfied in Him! 

God lacks nothing. He does not need us to be fulfilled or to make up for something that is missing in Him. We are created for His pleasure, for Him, not to fill a void that God has; no, but it is to His glory that we are satisfied in Him, that we come into His eternal purpose for us. We serve at the pleasure of the King. He created us to find our fulfillment in Him.

I believe God finds pleasure in our pleasure. My son Josiah had the opportunity to meet Paul David Tripp, a well known and respected Christian author. From a distance I saw Josiah approaching Paul to talk to him, and I wanted to be in on that conversation, not because I wanted to meet Paul, but because I wanted to see the joy my son had in meeting him. I took pleasure in seeing my son’s pleasure. In this I see the Father’s heart. Oh how good God is that he would find joy in our joy, that he would create a being in His image, not because He needed something, but because He simply wanted someone to enjoy Him! He wanted to share His love with us.

There have been times I have played the piano and a peace, a calm, has come over people. Children, youth, have settled, stilled, and been quiet. It’s almost surreal. I’ve simply played and people have sensed peace and just wanted me to keep playing. But what they are sensing is not a soothing melody or a well constructed series of chords and melodies- what they are sensing is the pleasure of God. The Lord enjoys when I play piano! He takes pleasure in my playing and that pleasure spills over to others in the form of peace.

Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. This is the God we are talking about- the One who says gain is in loss and a gift given is really a gift received. What an amazing God we serve.

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