What Makes God Smile, Day 9, Purpose Driven Life-Journaling

July 2, 2008 by woundedlily

I don’t suppose many of us think of God smiling.  People look at God to be stern and just, but have you ever thought He smiles and finds things to delight in and have pleasure?  Pleasure brings a smile to all of us.  Rick Warren, In the Purpose Driven Life writes about five areas when God smiles and he uses 27 scriptural references on day 9.

1)  God smiles when we love Him supremely.  The greatest commandment, is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.”  That is a task that should come from within the depths of a Christian’s soul.  “We love Him because He first loved us.”  Loving is an act of worship.

2)  God smiles when we trust Him completely.  Now, I have to ask if I have the faith to be a Noah, a Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the list goes on and on.  Psalms 147:11 reads in one translation “He takes pleasure in those that honor Him, in those who trust in HIs constant love.”  Proverbs 3:5 and 6 is a favorite of most all believers:  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”  “Trusting is an act of worship”
3)  God smiles when we obey Him wholeheartedly.  For those of us who have been around children we know that even as wee ones they want their own way, or they try to obey partway, or obey with a horrible attitude.  The Bible tells us that Noah did exactly what God had told him to do.  Children need to learn obedience even if they don’t understand.  The understanding will come as they get older.  If we partially obey God we truly are not in total obedience to Him.  I memorized a verse as a young adult that really has meant a lot to me.  “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”  An act of obedience is also an act of worship, because it pleases God.”
4)  God smiles when we praise and thank Him continually.  Are we really expected to praise and thank Him when we have bad things happen to us?  In Thessalonians the Bible says: “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  I believe we need to have an inward awareness of this truth deep within us so when trials come upon us, we will come to learn to give thanks for what God is going to accomplish through the trials in our walk with Him.  An Act of  thankfulness and praise is an act of worship-for He is the center of our life.
5)  God smiles when we use our abilities.  God not only enjoys watching us partake in spiritual activities but he also has created the earth for our enjoyment.  God wants us to be who He created us to be; not trying to be someone else.  God wants us to use what He has given to us as an act of worship.  I think a lot how God looks at our heart, is it a willing heart?  What is the attitude we have in our inner beings?
God wants us to live for Him and as I tell my grandchildren, “Look, you did so well and listened, you put a smile on God’s face.”   Wouldn’t it be something when we get to heaven to find God with a wonderful sense of humor.