When a Man’s Ways Please the Lord

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him,” Proverbs 16:7, AMP.

Our lifestyles teach or display who we truly are more than our speech ever could. I find it difficult to believe that someone loves me who intentionally slanders or abuses me. It was more than words that led each of us to trust certain people in our lives today. It was their mannerism, their attitude, it was their ways.

God is a sovereign all knowing and all-loving God. He makes provisions on our behalf whether we choose to admit it or not. He offers a way of escape in the midst of temptation for he tempts no man (James 1:13). God wants us to succeed in life and to live a life pleasing to Him. He would never ask us to do something He knows we’re incapable of doing. Now, we may see certain things that way. We may magnify situations in our lives to appear as large as mountains, but Jesus stated “…Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done,” Matthew 21:21, KJV.

So, when I meditate on the verse, “when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him,” this tells me even when I encounter adversity, I have that peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The scripture did not state that He was going to change those enemies into best friends or bosom buddies, the Word just states that our enemies will be at peace with us. There would be nothing in their power that they could do to hurt us (Luke 10:19).

Now consider this, those enemies may be enemies because they truly want what you have. They may be angry and have no rest against the enemies in their lives because their ways don’t please the Lord. So, in a manipulative mind, their pleasure is to make someone else feel as miserable as they do. Oftentimes it’s a result of their burdensome unhappiness. We may have a desire to change them or make them do the right thing, but we can’t. There is nothing we can do to make a person feel a certain way or to correct their action, that is a behavior which begins internally. Now, we can influence others, but ultimately the decision to change is up to them.

What must we do to please the Lord? In order to please the Lord, we must first come to Him in faith regardless of what our request is. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” Hebrews 11:6, KJV. We have to acknowledge Him for who He is and the outward display of love by way of Jesus Christ. In acknowledging God for who He is, we must admit that His word is truth. In admitting that His word is truth, we must surrender under His sovereign control. In surrendering under His sovereign control, we give God the permission to cover us under His hand of righteousness.

Being under God’s hand of righteousness is security because the Lord never changes. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever,” Hebrews 13:8, KJV. When fair weather friends skirt through our lives we must just accept them for who they are. That doesn’t mean that we have to agree with them or condone their behavior, it just means that we recognize them for who they are. Our trust must be in God…He’s the only one who we should look to please and all of these other things will fall into place (Matthew 6:33).