Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Continuing to follow the Holy Spirit’s direction, we will consider the third song of Worship inspiration, which is Smile.

Today’s scripture, Ephesians 5:2 (NLT) exhorts…
[2] Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Consider…
Yesterday we discovered that ‘living in obedience’ looks like loving everyone everywhere unconditionally and unfailingly like He loves us.

Today’s scripture adds that living a life filled with love is pleasing to God.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, this week’s theme of worship was inspired by three songs. Today’s song was my first muse.

In preparation for worshipping in song Sunday, our worship leader started singing beautiful Tasha Cobbs Leonard lyrics I had never heard before…

Here’s my worship
Take joy in it
Make it your dwelling place
I wanna put a smile on your face

I present my heart to you
I present my life to you

Here’s my worship, smile
Here’s my life Lord, smile
Here’s my worship, smile
Here’s my life Lord, smile

Smile, I wanna make you smile
Smile, I wanna make you smile
Smile, I wanna make you smile
Smile, I wanna make you smile

The idea of making God smile is so awesome to me. I still get goosebumps thinking of it.

Immediately it became and has become my goal of worship, to make God smile 😊

The Apostle Paul exhorts God’s children in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NLT)…
[1] Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.

Paul exhorts us to live to please God.

Paul also prayed for us to know God better so that we can please Him more. He wrote in Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
[9] So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. [10] Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

The more we honor and please God, the better and better we get to know Him.

As I meditate on God smiling, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) says…
[6] And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

That means our faith makes God smile 😊.

The Holy Spirit also replayed yesterday’s Lindy Cofer chorus in my mind…

I will love You with my yes, and with my obedience
I will love You with my yes, Jesus
I will love You with my yes, and with my obedience
I will love You with my yes, Jesus

And then pointed out, we obey to please, whereas we comply to appease. That’s why ‘living in obedience’ is worship to God.

Continuing to imagine God smiling reminded me of a simple song by James Cleveland we used to sing back in the day…

God has smiled on me
He has set me free, mm
God has smiled on me
Should’ve been good to me

He is the cause of all my joy
Fills me with His love
Everything I need
Ooh, He sends it down from up above, hallelujah

smiled on me
(He has set) He has set (me free) me free
(God has) oh God smiled on me
(He’s been good to me) should’ve been good to me

A lamp unto my path is He
Without Him, I would fall
I don’t know what He is to you
Oh, but to me, He’s my all in all
Thank you, Jesus

He’s been smiling on me
(He has set) oh, He set me (me free) He set me free
(God has) God has smiled on me (smiled on me) thank you, Jesus
(He’s been good to me) been good, He’s been good to me

Realizing God has smiled on us should make us want to make Him smile even more.

Like Andrae Crouch testifies…

How can I say thanks
For all the things You’ve done for me?
Things so undeserved
Yet You gave to prove Your love to me
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am
And ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee

To God…
Be the glory
To God…
Be the glory
To God…
Be the glory
For the things He has done

with His Blood
(We’re saved) He has saved me
(And with His Power) with His power
(He reached out and raised me) He has raised me
(Oh to God) to God
(Be the glory) be the glory
For the things He has done

Just let me live my life
And let it pleasing, Lord to Thee
And should I gain any praise
Let it go to Calvary
Calvary

I love the beginning of the lyrics…
“Just let me live my life
And let it pleasing, Lord to Thee”

Those words make me imagine texting or direct messaging the LORD every morning, Psalms 19:14 (NLT)…
[14] May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

This seems like a good place to pause and imagine God smiling ☺️

Out of curiosity I Googled song lyrics about pleasing God. I found the following by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir to set the tone for today, and everyday the LORD allows…

Let the words of my mouth
The meditation of my heart
Be acceptable, Lord to You
May the song that I sing
My life and offering
Be pleasing Lord, to You

Let my life, Be an offering
Totally devoted
To proclaim, the greatness and power of Your name
Your faithfulness has never changed
And now I live to say
In all I do, I want to honour You

Let the words of my mouth
Be acceptable to You
May the song that I sing
Be invincible to You
With all my heart I give my worship to You
Pleasing all to You
Be Pleasing Lord

Let’s make the goal of our worship, and our lives be to make God smile! ☺️

Today’s song is…
Smile

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)