Day 9 of 40 Days of Purpose WHAT MAKES GOD SMILE? “May the Lord smile on you. . . .” Numbers 6:25 (NLT) “Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live.” Psalm 119:135 (MSG) The smile of God is the goal of life. Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. The Bible says, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Fortunately, the Bible gives us a clear example of a life that gives pleasure to God. The man’s name was Noah. In Noah’s day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God’s. God couldn’t find anyone on earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that he considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile. The Bible says, “Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.” God said, “This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I’ll start over with his family.” Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today. From his life we learn the five acts of worship that make God smile. God smiles when we love him supremely. Noah loved God more than anything else in the world, even when no one else did! The Bible tells us, “Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.” This is what God wants most from you: a relationship! It’s the most astounding truth in the universe—that our Creator wants to fellowship with us. God made you to love you, and he longs for you to love him back. He says, “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.” God smiles when we trust him completely. Noah pleased God when he trusted God, even when it didn’t make sense. The Bible says, “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. . . . As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” Trusting God completely means having faith that God knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary. The Bible says, “He takes pleasure in those that honor him in those who trust in His constant love.” It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagine he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, he was ruthlessly criticized as a “crazy man who thinks God speaks to him.” I imagine Noah’s children were often embarrassed by the giant ship being built in their front yard. Yet Noah kept on trusting God. God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly. God didn’t say, “Build any old boat you’d like, Noah.” He gave very detailed instructions as to the size, shape, and materials of the ark as well as the different numbers of animals to be brought on board. The Bible tells us Noah’s response: “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding. Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but won’t forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience. Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully, with enthusiasm. The Bible says, “Obey him gladly.” This is the attitude of David: “Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey.” God smiles when we praise and thank him continually. Few things feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it too. He smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to him. Noah’s life brought pleasure to God because he lived with a heart of praise and thanksgiving. Noah’s first act after surviving the Flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice. The Bible says, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. . . and sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” God smiles when we use our abilities. After the flood, God gave Noah these simple instructions: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. . . . Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” God said, “It’s time to get on with your life! Do the things I designed humans to do. You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual” activities like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith. And you may think God is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating. He doesn’t miss a single move you make. The Bible tells us, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure if you do it with the attitude of praise. You can wash dishes, repair a machine, sell a product, write a computer program, grow a crop, and raise a family for the glory of God. What God looks at is the attitude of your heart: Is pleasing him your deepest desire? This was Paul’s life goal: “More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there.” When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from “How much pleasure am I getting out of life?” to “How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?” God is looking for people like Noah in the twenty-first century—people willing to live for the pleasure of God. The Bible says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God.” Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God wn’t do for the person totally absorbed with this goal. Point to Ponder: God smiles when I trust Him. Verse to Remember: “The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love.” Psalm 147:11 (CEV) Question to Consider: Since God knows what’s best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust him more?
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 13:00:27 +0000
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