What Makes God Smile The smile of

What Makes God Smile?

The smile of God is the goal of your life

What makes God smile? • God takes pleasure in … • God delights in … • … is pleasing to the Lord • … is the wo/man in whom I delight

God made you to love you and He wants you to love Him back. Learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our lives Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment Matthew 22: 37, 38

God is like a father who is very attached to His children 1. He loves them simply because they are his 2. He loves to hear from them 3. He experiences a sense of pride when they obey him 4. His heart is touched when they trust him 5. He is excited when they choose well 6. He enjoys giving them gifts 7. He is moved when they express appreciation

He loves us simply because we are his • This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Matthew 3: 17 • He was pleased to make Israel His own I Samuel 12: 22 • He loved us even before we became believers Ephesians 1: 5, 2: 5

He loves to hear from us • The prayer of the upright pleases him Proverbs 15: 8 • The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion … how gracious He will be when you cry for help. As soon as he hears he will answer. Isaiah 30: 18, 19

He experiences a sense of satisfaction when we obey him. • Sacrifices and burnt offerings performed the right way are a pleasing aroma to the Lord Leviticus 1: 9 • Not pleased with using sacrifices and gifts as a substitute for obedience I Samuel 15: 22 • Delayed or partial obedience is disobedience e. g. Israel going into the Promised Land

His heart is touched when we trust him • His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse or in the legs of a man but the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love Psalm 147: 10, 11 • Faith pleases God. E. g. Noah, Abraham, Rahab Hebrews 11: 6

He is excited when we choose well • Solomon had a dream in which he was allowed to ask for anything he wanted from God • What would you ask for? • God was pleased with Solomon’s request I Kings 3: 10

He enjoys giving us gifts • “charis” = benefit or gift • “chara” = joy, delight • There is a joy in giving and there is a joy is seeing others receiving • It pleased God to make Israel prosper and increase in number Deuteronomy 28: 63

He is moved when we express appreciation • I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord. Psalm 69: 30 • Praise (who He is) • Thanks (for what He has done) • Remember the ten lepers who were healed? How many said thank you?

God did not need to create us, but He chose to. God made us to love us and He wants us to love Him back. “You are worthy Our Lord, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things…” Learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our life.

God, your Father is very attached to you, His child 1. He loves you simply because you are his 2. He loves to hear from you 3. He experiences a sense of satisfaction when you obey him 4. His heart is touched when you trust him 5. He is excited when you choose well 6. He enjoys giving you gifts 7. He is moved when you express appreciation

What Makes God Smile?