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let heaven’s joy stifle earth’s sorrow
WRITTEN
BY BOYD BAILEY
“May the Lord smile
on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his
peace.” Numbers 6:25-26, NLT
Grandchildren are quick to bring a smile to
the face of a grandparent.
Their cute, customized language — their adorable looks and their
heartfelt hugs make a grandmother and grandfather feel deep love, joy and
gratitude.
A smile of satisfaction and a grandchild’s
trusting countenance communicates a heart full of wonder and affection — their
face of faith and joy is contagious.
Grandparents smile on their grandchildren
because they are moved by innocence and intimacy.
Our loving heavenly Father finds great joy in
experiencing the love, affection and worship of His children.
He smiles when He sees His son or daughter
look to the Lord for wisdom and direction.
The Holy Spirit leads a humble and submitted
heart to Him.
God is quick to shower His favor on a
precious child of His who loves Him supremely over other competing lovers.
Like a sharp needle Christ punctures any
balloons of worry and inflates them with His peace.
Heaven’s smile gives a child of God the
confidence to overcome a frown on earth. Jesus’ smile makes it all worthwhile!
“Smile on me, your
servant; teach me the right way to live” (Psalm 119:35, MSG).
What are some ways for us to bring God
pleasure?
When we walk by faith and not by sight, our
heavenly Father sees us look to His Spirit for leadership.
Earnestly and compassionately the Holy Spirit
shows the way to a seeking soul who wholeheartedly desires God’s best.
What joy it brings Jesus to partner with
those whose heart’s passion is to work with Him on His Kingdom agenda.
Similar to how a parent feels honored when a
child asks for their advice about a major life decision, so we honor the Lord
when we ask for His will to be done. God smiles at trust in Him.
Another way to solicit a smile from Jesus is
to not take yourself too seriously. Loosen up a little bit, laugh at yourself
and relax.
Your imperfections are indicators of your
desperate need for a Savior, so rather than justifying your mistakes or
misunderstandings — acknowledge them, ask forgiveness and move on.
And instead of holding others to a standard
of perfection: offer grace, understanding and mercy — treat others as the Lord
treats them.
Humor and laughter are medicine for a too
serious soul. Learn to laugh with the Lord — and let heaven’s joy stifle
earth’s sorrow!
“A happy heart is
good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up
the bones”
(Proverbs
17:22, AMP).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, teach me to know Your ways
and follow Your heart.
How can I live my life in a way that brings a
smile to my heavenly Father’s face?
Related Reading
Psalm 31:16; Proverbs 16:7; Romans 8:8;
Galatians 1:10; Colossians 1:10
The Christian life was
never meant to be lived alone.
Let’s grow wise in the Word, together.
Check
out Boyd’s newest devotional book Two Minutes in the Bible for Men. Order now!
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Wisdom
Hunters
was inspired by Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a
companion of fools suffers harm.” The Christian life was never meant to be
lived alone; we grow wise as a result of spending time in the Word daily.
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