I want to please HIM

JESUS said,

"...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him."
(John 8:29)

BUT

"...About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice...
'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'"
(Matthew27:46)

HOW?
WHY?

It's a mystery.
It's buried treasure that cannot be found without persistent and humble seeking.

"...We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory."
(1 Corinthians 2.7)

"...wisdom that hath been hidden..."

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And God said,
'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...'
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."
(Genesis1:1-27)

"And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.
And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
(Genesis 2:8-17)

Provision...
Pleasantness...
Position...
Power...

Walking with God daily in the cool of the evening.

One command.
Don't seek knowledge.
Ok, to be exact...
Don't partake of...
"...the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it..."

BUT

"...When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat."
(gen.3.6)

Side note:
And THIS  is why women are not to teach men nor be dominant in the company of men... but to be silent.

SILENT?
(except for the exception... logical exceptions without biblical precedents...right? )

WHO anymore teaches female silence and subordinence concerning female influence on men?

Paul said,
"...I permit not a woman to teach, NOR to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.
FOR Adam was first formed, then Eve; and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression..."
(1 Timothy 2:12-14)

(end of the 'rabbit trail'/'side-note)

Back on track...

The thing God said 'NO' about seemed...
"...good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise..." and brought promise that "...your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil..."

How many things do we excuse or condone (including female demeanor and decorum) because what we think it seems 'good' or 'wise' or even 'godly'?

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 14:12)

Now, just as at the beginning, death was not an immediate bolt of lightning. Death was a process. It was a withholding of the renewal, the tree of life.

God had put the 'life' tree AND the 'knowledge' tree in the garden.
He told man he could eat of EVERY tree except the 'knowledge' one. It isn't unreasonable to assume that the first man partook daily of the 'life' tree.

When knowledge/logic was chosen over innocent childlike pleasant living... avoiding God's 'no-nos' and taking a walk with Him daily... God removed man from the source of life. And being a holy God, He hid Himself from them.

Knowledge had been discovered, but wisdom was lost.
And when God hid himself, man no longer feared Him.
Whenever God revealed Himself, man hid because God's light revealed man's sin.

When the 'created', the 'made', is desired above the Maker it is 'idolatry'. When man chooses what is 'good' in his own eyes with mind-calculated 'logic', he will hide from those who truly reflect the Spirit of God and will ignore or rebuke every manifestation of the true will of God.

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
(John 3:20-21)

Fear, desire, and logic guide the one who is NOT fully surrendered to God... whose mind is distracted.

But for one who does everything with whispered petition and consideration to his Creator,
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee."
(Isaiah 26:3)

Fear has no dominion over a man in perfect peace.

"...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)

Diligently seeking God brings peace.
Fearing God brings wisdom.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
(Proverbs 9:10)

And so things continue as they have from the beginning...
There are certain things about which God has said 'NO'.
He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Yet man chooses to reinterpret plain concepts so that 'God's will' or 'God's love' is redefined in the light of what they are already doing or choosing to do.

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..."
(Romans 1:28-32)

Knowing God's way, man chose his own way.
Man's condition before Christ became this...

"Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:
They would none of my counsel;
They despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them,
And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil."
(Proverbs 1:28-33)

God hid Himself from man because of man's sin.
Man hid from God because nearness to God evoked uncomfortable shame.
Hopeless!

So the Creator became flesh (John 1:14) and walked among men... healing, teaching, setting an example that we might follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Yet,
"He was despised,
And rejected of men;
A man of sorrows,
And acquainted with grief:
And as one from whom men hide their face he was despised...

Yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities...
We have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away...
He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?

He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied:
By the knowledge of Himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and He shall bear their iniquities...
He poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
(Isaiah 53:3-12)

"...God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, NOT reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us...
BE YE reconciled to God.

Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
(2 Corinthians 5:19-21)

IN Him?

"Abide IN Me, and I IN you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up..."
(John 15:4-9)

"...Keep seeking the things above...
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth..."
(Colossians 3:1-3)

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
(John 15:10)

"The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
(1 John 2:6)

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
(John 3:6-9)

"No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him."
(1 John 3:6)

WAIT, what?
"NO ONE who sins has seen Him or knows Him?"
That's what He said.

James 4:17 says,
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
(1 John 3:4)

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
(John 8:34)

SO, abiding IN Christ means that your mind is set on God and His values, i.e. commandments and precepts.

No, we're not suggesting you JUST set your mind on the commandments themselves BUT on the Author of the commandments.
The proof that your mind IS fully surrendered to God is in your choices.
The man who truly knows God won't find a way around God's  principles.
One who truly loves God won't set his desire upon distractions invented by man.

"Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world IS the enemy of God."
(James 4:4)

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."
(Philippians 3:18-19)

Mind heavenly things!
Talk to Him.
Obey Him.
Love His Word.
Sing to Him.
Praise His goodness before others.
Consult Him before any other.
Honor Him is how you look, talk, and live.

"...Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Your people.
Our fathers trusted in Thee:
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto Thee, and were delivered:
They trusted in Thee, and were not put to shame.
Commit thyself unto Jehovah;
Let Him deliver him:
Let Him rescue him, seeing He delighteth in him.
Ye that fear Jehovah, praise Him... glorify Him;
And stand in awe of Him, all ye the seed of Israel.
For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither hath He hid His face from him; But when he cried unto Him, He heard."
(Psalm 22:3-31)

"The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
(Psalm 34:17-19)

"The meek shall eat and be satisfied;
They shall praise Jehovah that seek after Him..."
(Psalm 22.26)

Why DID God hide from men?
They intentionally chose sin.
They intentionally kept a distance from God.
They intentionally teach one another to 'follow their heart'.

"Then shall they cry unto Jehovah, but He will not answer them; yea, He will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings."
(Micah 3:4)

"But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do."
(Deuteronomy 31:18)

"Then He said,
'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness.'"
(Deuteronomy 32:20)

"According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them."
(Ezekiel 39:24)

"Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart."
(Isaiah 57:17)

(There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities."
(Isaiah 64:7)

"They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the LORD, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them."
(Hosea 5:6)

"Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: BUT your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.
For...
Your lips have spoken lies...
They trust in vanity...
Their works are works of iniquity... Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity...
The way of peace they know not... They have made them crooked paths...
Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us:
We look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity... we grope as they that have no eyes...
We look for... salvation, but it is far off from us.
For... our iniquities, we know them: transgressing... and turning away from following our God, speaking... and uttering from the heart words of falsehood...
Righteousness standeth afar off...
Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His own arm brought salvation... and His righteousness..."
(Isaiah 59:1-17)

Thus God ushered in His plan of redemption by 'His own arm'.

"Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher."
(Isaiah 30:20)

"I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD."
(Ezekiel 39:29)

Our Creator came in flesh and dwelt among us, suffered our fate, defeated death, rose to the throne of God and sent His Spirit to us that we might draw near the Holy Father.

So now anyone can seek God and find Him IF they seek Him with ALL that they are (Jeremiah 29:13).
All may humbly draw close to God through Jesus' name...and God will draw nigh him (James 4:8).
And with a mind set upon Him,  the invisible Spirit of God has liberty to guide and live through the body of each one who does this... kept in perfect peace because his mind is stayed on Him.

Then we can say, as Jesus did,
"...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him."

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
(Hebrews 4:14-16)