It’s the last week of the “Joy to the Soul Summer” series. Of course, the season is far from over. There are more glasses of iced tea to sip and more time to engage in your favorite summer pastime. But there are also more life-changing ways to experience God’s grace and truth. It happened to me as I finished a meal at a restaurant.

The waiter came to our table with a cart full of decadence. All my favorites were featured. Key lime pie and tiramisu sat next to a lovely peach cobbler. The tiramisu won out as the perfect ending to my meal. But when it comes to making choices in life, it’s not that easy.

A perfect ending to a situation often takes time. It often takes a turn toward the unexpected.

But even as we pray over challenging things and hopes and dreams, every good thing still waits. It may be hard to believe, but here is something to consider.

“Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT, emphasis mine).

If you’re in a tough season, good things may feel distant. But God is still the Giver of every good and perfect gift. (James 1:16-18) Therefore, good things are still possible. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t grieve a loss or acknowledge a difficulty.

But as His greatest gift to us, Christ’s redemption reshapes our lives by empowering us to do “every good thing that is pleasing to him.”

Like me, maybe you’ve missed a few things. But doing what God desires, fills us with His wisdom and peace. We become fruitful in good works and grow in our knowledge of Him. (Luke 2:14 and Colossians 1:9-11)

A desire to please God can flow as we’re grateful for His mercy and love, submitted to His authority, and trusting of His care. And yet, a great deal of tension can rise if something else is more pleasing to us.

At times, I wrestle with selfish desires or a short-sighted perspective. You may have a different set of tensions. Perhaps it’s easy to imagine what someone else could do to please God. But Hebrews 13:20-21 is deeply personal. It uses the word “you” three times!

As it relates to pleasing God, what is He requiring of you? In case we need some help (and I often do), Scripture offers us these truths.

“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NLT).

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT).

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too” (Romans 14:17-18 NLT).

Which one of these verses gets your attention?  Like the desserts at the restaurant, everything looks good to me. But to accomplish each task, I’m leaning into the grace of God. He works in us to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 2:13) This summer, we may have exciting things we hope to accomplish or difficult things we need to overcome. But seeking to do God’s will is every good thing we need.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the “Joy to the Soul Summer series.” You can read more posts from the series here. A special thanks to my guest contributors, Dr. Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Felicia Livingston and Marie Chan for sharing their hearts and insights with us. After a “blogging break,” I look forward to meeting you here September 7, as we continue our journey of finding hope for the heart and “joy to the soul.” Have a safe and wonderful summer!