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Can God Smile?
By George James
I’ve been contemplating a question recently that I’d like to share with all of you. Can God smile? When almighty God looks down from heaven to earth does He ever see anything that brings a smile to His face—a deed, a word, an attitude or anything? One might think because God is so great and powerful why on earth would He place His smile upon you and me. The awesome and perfect creator of the universe finding joy in any fallible human being filled with so many sins and mistakes might seem strange. At first glance it may seem absurd or just very unimportant to ponder such a thing. Well, I’m the one that brought it up so I’ll be the foolish one. It certainly is true our God is a great and magnificent being that we perhaps cannot truly understand in every way.
In Revelation chapter 1 God is described as powerfully ominous. Let’s read verses 14-16 (NIV), “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” Wow! That sounds intimidating. Do you think a being depicted like this can waste His time to focus on His creation to see if He can find joy enough in it to smile? Doesn’t He have to focus on world events and Bible prophecy? After all, this is the really important stuff. I do believe God almighty is concerned with Bible prophecy and the shaping of events in this world, yet on the other hand, there is always another perspective too.
In Genesis 1:26 we read about how we are created in the image of God. What exactly does this mean? We are created with a body and God has a body—a spiritual body. But are there other similarities we share with Him that are more profound? One very important characteristic of human beings is the need and desire to establish meaningful relationships. Let’s take this a little further. We see God as the father and the son—a family relationship. Jesus Christ the son lived on this earth to serve and glorify the father. John 8:29 tells us Jesus pleased the father. I think this is a hint to whether or not God smiles at us because He is pleased with us.
What would bring a smile to God’s face? What did Jesus Christ do that no one else could do? He was sinless, and because He was sinless He and His father had the best relationship a father and son could have. Also, to be sinless Jesus Christ had to obey the holy righteous law of God. This law of His is all about having the best relationships possible with our holy Father, Jesus Christ our savior, and our fellow man and woman. God enlightened us with His holy law because he cares about us a great deal and He wishes the best life possible for us. He knows if we keep His law we will have the best, healthful, secure and most blessed life possible. God also knows the Christian life is more than merely being aware of Bible prophecy and current affairs. So build a strong relationship with God by obeying God’s law. Meditate on His law like David did—a man after God’s own heart. Study Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. This will please Him and He will cast His loving smile upon us as a loving parent always does to a child who behaves with integrity, wisdom, and discipline. i
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