Faith

Faith Pleases God

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently see Him. Hebrews 11:6

Your relationship with God is largely determined by your faith.  When you come to Him, you must believe that He exists and that He is exactly who He has revealed Himself to be in Scriptures.  You must also believe that He will respond to you when you earnestly seek Him.  Without this kind of faith, you cannot please God.  Regardless of the morality of your life, the good works you perform, the words you speak, or the sacrifices you make for His sake, if you do not have faith, you will not please Him.  It can be tempting to substitute religious activity for faith in God.  Christians may claim they are being "good stewards" of their resources when in fact, they are wanting to walk by sight rather than by faith (Heb 11:1).  They may refuse to do what God tells them unless they can see all the resources in place first.

You may say, "I love God, but I just have difficulty trusting Him"  Then you are not pleasing to Him.  You cannot struggle at the core of your relationship with God and still enjoy a vibrant fellowship with Him! Faith does not eliminate problems.  Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems.  Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not your circumstances.  Some may say, "I'm not much of a person of faith. I am more of a practical person"  Yet you will never do anything more practical than to place your trust in the Lord!  Nothing is more secure or certain than that which you entrust to God.

--Experiencing God Day-by-Day