You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers. —Deuteronomy 30:8-9
Here’s a question: How does God feel most of the time? Is He bored? Worried? Blase? Happy? Concerned? Detached? Engaged? Mad, glad, or sad? It sounds lighthearted, but it’s one of the most important questions of our entire spiritual journey. How does God feel when He looks at you? I have asked many people this question over the years, and they usually respond in one of two ways: God is mostly mad, or God is mostly sad. And in both cases, they think it’s their fault. Many Christians believe very strongly that God is angry and grieved with each of us. It’s one of those under-the-surface, sinister opinions everybody holds but nobody talks about. God is viewed as distant, angry, sitting on the throne, and spending the bulk of His emotional energy being disappointed in mankind. We picture a weeping God who beats His breast and turns His eyes away from us in shame. But Scripture tells us the very opposite. Our God smiles and rejoices. His emotions fall into a third category: God is mostly glad.
{ PRAYER STARTER }
Father, You have revealed to me that when You look at me I make You glad. Let me see Your smile of approval and hear You rejoicing over me. It fills my heart with love for You and overwhelms my soul.
God will reveal Himself to us as the glad God who
overflows with delight and enjoyment.
