Does God Smile?

When Beverly, the leader of our bible study group, asked, ‘does God smile?’ I realized that I had
never considered this concept, but naturally, her question sparked my curiosity.
We know that God is a Spirit so how can he smile? We learned, also, from the Old Testament,
that He expressed the emotions of displeasure, anger, and frustration, with hard hearted and
rebellious people. Consequently, the idea that God smiles should not come as a surprise.
God smiled when He created you, His precious child. He was excited and overjoyed when He
molded our first parents out of the dust of the earth. He allowed them the freedom to roam and
enjoy His garden, Eden, which He had prepared for them. He, then, gave them dominion over all
things on the earth. Can you imagine the overwhelming love God experienced as He looked upon
His children? Adam and Eve were the first people whose presence must have brought a smile to
the face of God. Nevertheless, they wiped that smile off God’s face when they disobeyed Him
and succumbed to temptation by Satan. (Gen 3:6-7).
In later generations,only one man, named Noah, remained faithful to God. He was the only
righteous man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He obeyed God and endeavored, always,
to please Him. (Genesis 6:8, 22). God destroyed all wickedness on the earth by a flood but saved
Noah and his family. The first thing Noah did, when the flood waters had abated, was to offer a
burnt offering to God. (Gen.8: 20-21). God breathed the sweet aroma of Noah’s offering and
smiled.
God smiled at the baptism of His Son, Jesus, by John the Baptist. “This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.” (Matt.3:17). Assuredly, God did not utter those words with a frown on
His face but beamed with the pride and joy of a father, as He beheld His Son…. so He smiled.
When Jesus hung, dying on the cross, He said,’ Father it is finished.’ He meant that, by His
crucifixion and death on the cross, He had accomplished that for which the Father had sent Him
to earth. He had redeemed mankind, therefore, returning us into favor with God. …and God
smiled. It was done.
God smiles when we worship, praise, and exalt Him above all things. At such times, He
experiences great joy. He does not desire our praises for selfish reasons but to return that joy to
His children, one hundredfold. When we glorify God, He bathes us in His glory. Whatever joy
we give to God, He returns the favor. Let praise and worship to God be the first fruits of your
lips.
God smiles when we show our love for Him by loving others. ‘Love one another as I have loved
you.’ He wants us to trust Him and have faith in His goodness because ‘without faith, it is
impossible to please God, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that, diligently, seek Him.’ (Heb.11:6). Do not begrudge God your offerings
but give abundantly and willingly, and you will prosper in all ways. Utilize your God given gifts
to glorify Him. Let your way of life bring joy to the loving heart God.

A New Dawn

On the first day of the week, the women Mary Magdelene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome headed out towards the tomb where the body of Jesus lay. It was very early in the morning and the sun had not yet risen, so the air felt chilly and dew drops glistened on the grass.. The women drew their scarves tightly around them and increased their pace in an attempt to ward off the early morning chill. They were on their way to anoint the body of Jesus with spices.
As they hastened forward, they pondered upon His suffering the past Friday, at the hands of cruel and ruthless soldiers. They flinched as, in their mind, they could still hear the sound of the whips that flogged His body, and the crunching of nails on bone as the soldiers pounded them into His hands and feet. They could not get the image of His bruised and torn body out of their mind, but they felt that the spices and oil they carried might help preserve His body.
When they drew near to the tomb, the women wondered which of them would remove the stone from the tomb, for it was enormous. Suddenly, a powerful earthquake shook the ground, and an angel appeared from heaven and rolled the stone away from the tomb. His appearance dazzled the women for He shone as bright as lightening. The watchmen, at the tomb, fell to the ground as dead men before this terrifying apparition.
Imagine the women‟s surprise when the angel informed them that Jesus was not there but had risen. They panicked, fled from the sepulcher and ran all the way to share the exciting news with Peter and other disciples.
Later that morning, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdelene. "Rabboni !” She cried in surprise, her tears changing from that of grief to one of pure Joy.
The morning, immediately, took on an eerie glow as Divine Light burst forth upon the earth. Lilies bloomed, vegetation turned a brilliant green, flowers blazed in unearthly hues sending rainbow colors across the land while birds chirped their Hallelujah chorus. „The king of Kings had risen! The light of the world had come!‟
When Mary Magdelene shared the news with the disciples, they were in denial until Jesus appeared to them. the grave could not hold Him and death had lost its sting. By His death and resurrection, Jesus redeemed humanity and gave them eternal life. We, the children of men had now become the children of God. The One who has everything gave to man who had nothing and by His sacrifice opened a new dawn in the life of man.
We, too, rejoice for we now can appear before the throne of God with confidence, and believing, “ can mount up on eagles wings, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40: 31).
The Heavenly Hosts, celebrating His resurrection, burst into songs of jubilee. The Father could now look upon His Son and not feel the crushing pain He experienced as He watched the crucifixion. It was all He could do not to stop His Son‟s suffering.. Now He, also, could celebrate because all His children were safe and His Son had returned to Him having accomplished what the Father had sent Him to perform on earth.
As the Father embraced His Son, His heart must have felt a deep sadness, that His beloved Son had to suffer so much, but He allowed it to save those They had made in Their own image.” I imagine that Jesus hugged His father and replied. “I know Father, I know.” The Word the Father had sent to earth had accomplished that for which it had been sent and did not return to the Father empty. Man was redeemed.
What an expression of love Jesus demonstrated by laying His life down for mankind? How great is His love for humanity and greater still the love of the Father for His children? Praise and glorify God at all times; walk before Him in righteousness for, in Christ, man became perfect in the eyes of the God of Righteousness.