When God Smiles at You

Hello friend! Happy New Year! I’ve got a word of encouragement for you today. It’s one we don’t celebrate nearly as much in the body of Christ as we should, but one I want to be found sharing with anyone who’ll listen.

First, some back story. Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of being with a group of women at my local First Methodist Church here in Lake Providence, LA to wrap up their study of my latest book, “Seizing the Good Life.”

 

I could use a slew of words and I’d still come up short trying to report how those women blessed me as they recounted their experience with the study. If pressed to choose one word, I’d go with sweet. It was so very sweet.  Before I left, they gifted me with a beautifully wrapped present containing individually sealed letters from the different ladies with their personal thoughts about walking through John together.

 

 

 

I knew I’d be wrecked when I read them later. I was right.

At some point during my remarks and the ensuing Q&A, I reminded the group of Jesus’ words from John 16:27 when He told the disciples that “the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.”

Hear that. Sit with it. God loves you because you believe He sent Jesus to be the Savior of the World. Can you grasp that? God rejoices because you believe He sent Jesus, His Son, to reconcile us to Him. I asked the girls to celebrate that truth. I’m asking you to do the same.

Follower of Christ, your faith delights your heavenly Father. He is smiling at you.

Yes, you.   

This morning I feasted on some words in John 17 that build on that soul-fortifying truth.

In speaking to His Father, Jesus said these words about his disciples, beginning in verse seven, “They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.”  

If you’ve spent any time at all in the gospels, you might remember that the disciples didn’t get it all right from day one. They didn’t keep the Word flawlessly from the onset. Many times, John records that something happened that “caused them to believe” long after we thought they already believed. Wait. What? Jesus’ inner circle questioned Him, doubted Him, and yes, even denied Him. And here we have Jesus giving a satisfied report to His Father of their mature faith in Him and the message He brought them from God.

Mind you, these are the very men who had only recently confessed to Jesus in John 6:30, “Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”

Please note that in praying to His Father and ours, Jesus didn’t include a caveat of all the times the disciples didn’t get it right, didn’t keep His Word, and failed to completely understand that He was speaking the very words of God to them. Oh, no. Jesus, the friend that sticks closer than a brother, simply speaks of those His Father gave Him as having faith in Him and His Words without ever pausing to revisit their past mistakes. We don’t see Jesus sighing and exclaiming, “Well, Father, they finally got it. Better late than never, right?!” Instead, Jesus simply takes joy in their belief in Him and His revelation of God.

That’s good news for this remedial learner who fails to get it right all the time, or even most of the time. Hear me. I’m not rejoicing in or promoting a sloppy grace that papers over our failures. God doesn’t wink at sin. Never has. Never will. It cost Him the life of His Son.  I’m asking us to celebrate the truth that God showers amazing grace on us and then – wonder of wonders— He takes satisfaction in us when we embrace it.  

We’re woefully slow at feasting on this truth.

We’re not good at it because we stay too busy telling ourselves how we’ve missed the mark. We tell ourselves how we’ve fallen short, and all the ways we don’t do enough, pray enough, read enough, and serve enough. The tragic result is that all the ways we tell ourselves we aren’t enough only serve to make us want to hide from the One who is All Sufficient and waiting to transform us and mature us by His Presence through His Word.

On the other hand, believing that we bring God joy coaxes us into the Light where Jesus waits with healing in His wings.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall.”  Malachi 4:2 KJV

Pray with me?

Father God, thank you for showing us that You and Jesus have a shared joy in our faith. Remind us to celebrate this truth. We need Your help because it’s so hard for us to grasp that we could bring You any measure of satisfaction when all we see is our weaknesses and failings. Help us draw nearer, still. Help us wrench our eyes from ourselves and keep them fixed on You, the author and finisher of our faith so that You can do in us what only You can do in us. In the sweet name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Take care friends, and drop me a note if you’d like. 

Hugs,
Shellie

P.S. Here’s the Youtube clip of this post. You can also find an audio tape below, or look up The Story Table on your favorite podcast platform. Blessings, y’all. My every intention is to use every avenue available to bring you value. 

 

 

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