Your Father’s Good Pleasure
Lisa Cooke

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Oh that we could truly fathom the depth of this statement! What an incredible difference it would bring to our lives if we would but accept and walk in the understanding of all that this verse means to us.

I see three parts in this amazing scripture that we can meditate on or contemplate. Jesus begins with the admonition of “fear not” to His flock. The context is the cares of life, the worries of the world. About these things we are not to concern ourselves to the point of fear. Psalm 84:11 encourages us that “no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” We have good reason to “fear not” because He tells us earlier in Luke 12:30 that the Father knows that we need such things as clothing and food. The Father is aware of the things of life which concern us and is benevolent toward us in His provision. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19 that our God shall supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Psalm 23:1 tells us the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want. Fear dissipates in the bold stand our confidence takes in what God has plainly told us in scripture! This admonition to “fear not” comes from the Father Himself as we know that Jesus only said what the Father said. (John 12:49) And it is from the Father Himself, out of His good pleasure, that the kingdom comes to us.

Which leads me to the second part, the thought that it is the Father’s “good pleasure,” that He takes pleasure in giving us the kingdom, sharing His realm and all its attributes with us. This thought alone is enough to cause us to draw near to Him whose affection toward us is so grandly manifested.

His love is expressed in His desire to share His kingdom with us. Matthew 7:11 says “…how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” Based on this being the Father’s good pleasure, we can ask God to give us the kingdom. We know if we ask anything according to God’s will, that He hears us, and that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. Again confidence will come into play, taking a bold stand based on the will of God for us. We can have the kingdom of God revealing itself in our lives if we believe and accept that this is something God wants to give us. The Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:10 further substantiates that the will of the Father is for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven.

Lastly, what does it look like for the kingdom to be on earth as it is in Heaven? The clearest verse is from Romans 14:17 which says “The kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. I think it is easy for us to imagine these things as being common in Heaven, but are they prevailing in our lives? Have we fully received His kingdom as the gift He intended it to be?

God is not hiding His intention to give us His kingdom. In Matthew 13:11 Jesus tells His disciples “…it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven…” Scripture gives us clues as to what the kingdom of Heaven is like, where it is, how to enter into it. Luke 17:21 says “…for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” and in Luke 10:9 Jesus says “and say unto them, the kingdom of God has come nigh unto you.” He says in Mark 10:15 “Truly, I say unto you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” John 3:3 is even more emphatic: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Verse 5 of that same chapter says “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 5:3 says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

An important thing to remember is what John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:2. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” God’s kindness leads us to repentance, (Romans 2:4) and His good pleasure to give us the kingdom is indeed an unfathomable kindness.

Repentance, being born again, being poor in spirit, being like a child, are all ways of responding to the Father that we may receive His kingdom. Let us please the Father by receiving His gracious gift with all its wonders and benefits along with the evidence of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.