Happy Dad
Contentment comes into your soul as you carry out the wishes of your Heavenly Father and do what makes Him happy.
“When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction."
Deuteronomy 30:1-4, 6, 9-11, 14-15, 19
Have you ever considered what would make God happy? Have you ever thought not about how you can receive happiness from how God changes your circumstances or grows you, but how you can make Him happy? The bible is full of truths that reveal the heart of the Father and the things that will make him happy. God is spirit and truth and the truth is God wants to be known by you.
Blessing you makes God happy. He wants to do this all the time. Do you want more blessing? Yes, please! One of His greatest desires is to be able to open the blessings of heaven and pour out blessings upon your life. What keeps us from receiving all that God has for us? Sin. Sin is the greatest barrier to God's blessing. Sin does not make Him happy. Sin separates. God cannot bless disobedience and sinful living. It is against His very nature to not do what is best for you. God wants you to live in truth and learn to trust what He says so that He can bless you. Moses says listening to God, loving Him, and learning to walk in His ways is not beyond your reach or too difficult for you. Nothing God is asking of you is beyond what you can do. That is good news! He gives us the choice as to whether we will let Him bless us and be the people He made us to be. Is there anything in your life that is keeping you from receiving the full blessings of God?
“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth...the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance...the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."
Psalms 33:1, 3-6, 11-12, 18, 20-22
David knows the Father. He knows that praise is the food that the Father likes to dine on each day. Praise makes God happy. We were made to praise. David says you are not just made to praise haphazardly, but made to praise joyfully and skillfully. Aren't those two interesting words to describe praise? Skillfully implies that it should be intentional and practiced. Joyfully describes the state of the heart and how it should be out of a heart of gratitude. Practicing your praise and growing in your gratitude please the Lord. How could you do these today?
David says waiting on and trusting in God make God happy. Why? Waiting on God can be hard. It requires that we declare today that we trust God with tomorrow. It shifts our attention from outcomes to process. From independence to dependence. From individuality to community. Waiting and trusting are choices that we make that are within our control that express eternal devotion to God above the desires of our flesh to see immediate results. What could you sacrifice today to demonstrate that you trust God with your tomorrow? Giving your heart to God is an expression of praise and praise pleases God.
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar...Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God...There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers"
Proverbs 30:5-9, 11, 24-28
Belief makes God happy. Solomon shares the wisdom of living a life that is balanced and shows belief in God's power, provision, and purposes. Why do you think Solomon calls out lying and greed? What does it say about our hearts when our minds scheme to lie or focus on what we can get over what we can give? Are these not two common ways in which sin can separate us from the truth God teaches? Why do people lie and seek dishonest gain? Is it not because they do not believe that God will provide nor in His promises?
The wise person says I believe in God. I believe that He will provide enough for today to meet my needs and I do not need to worry about tomorrow. This does not mean that we do not use abilities to plan for the future. It means that we do not allow fear, anxiety, or worry to dominate our hearts as we consider future planning. The wise person does plan for tomorrow, but trusts in God's provision.
The wise person believes in truth. We live in a world that likes to make truth a relative concept. What is truth? The bible says God is spirit and truth. To believe in truth is to believe in God and to reject truth is to reject God. Truth turns us from evil ways and guides us closer to God. Truth says God's promises will never fail. Truth says God is for you, with you, within you and working ahead of you. Truth says God loves you and will watch over you every day of your life. Believing in truth makes God happy. Are there any areas of your life where you have allowed the worry of an outcome or a lie of the enemy to impact your belief?
“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand...Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days...As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Daniel 12:1-3, 10-13
Reconciliation and salvation make God happy. God desires that no one would be lost. When one sheep leaves the 99, God knows and pursues the sheep. Daniel sees a vision of God working to reconcile all who would believe to Him. He says that everyone whose name is written in the book of life will be delivered. Adding names to the book of life makes Him happy. What is one of the ways that He helps reconcile people to Himself? Using people like you who have hearts that are open to helping lead others back to the right path. Daniel says those who do will shine like the stars. Who could you help share good news with today?
Timing makes God happy. He has a plan. Have you ever paid attention to how specific God is? He says 1335 days until the end. Granted, in the bible it also says that to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day so it is clear that He is not talking about a 24 hour clock. Thank goodness, God is patient or we would not have had the opportunity to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ as these books were written thousands of years ago. How could knowing that God has a plan and proper timing help you draw closer to Him? Do we not sin often because we get impatient. Paul say love is patient. God shows this and shows that teaching us to wait on His timing makes Him happy because it is in the process that we are being purified and formed to the image of Christ. Do you want to make God happy? Be thankful for the times of waiting.
“On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.”
1 Thessalonians 2:4, 6, 11-12, 19-20
From the time we are first born we have been influenced by the desire to make other people happy. We naturally want the approval of family, friends, colleagues, and the community around us. It is good to live at peace with others, but it is important to not live to please others. Paul says we live to please God alone. We are meant to live to make God happy. What would happen if you prayed every day for the Lord to free you from the desire to please other people or look for human praise? Would this not help free our hearts to focus on what God wants?
Paul gives three clues as to what makes God happy in how He loves you. God wants to encourage, comfort and urge you. God encourages you to keep going and do your best each day with the strengths that you have been given. Following Jesus is about making the most of every opportunity to bring love to the world as only you can do. God wants to comfort you and bring healing to your heart, mind, and soul. He knows we live in a broken world and that you will have hard times. Hard times cause wounds and can leave scars. God wants to bring the healing balm of comfort through the Holy Spirit to you.
It makes God happy to see you find peace through the comfort He brings while you are enduring or have endured difficulty. God wants to urge you. This word is not one that we might not think about much when it comes to our faith. Why would God want to urge us? Is there not a tension between waiting on the Lord and living with a sense of urgency? Living with urgency is to live with the end in mind, knowing that your time on this planet is finite, and invites us to live for the things that matter most. If you only have a short amount of time then you are going to focus on the things you need to get done the most. What are those things in your life? What matters most to you?
Paul says the urgency should create an earnestness to live a life worthy of God. Centered in God. Focusing on His will and making Him happy by how we do what He calls us to do. Obedience leads directly to blessing. We do not do what we should do because of what we can get from God. Rather, we do what He says because we love God because He first loved us. Paul finishes by clarifying what matters most which is being one with God. God's presence. Abiding, dwelling, connecting, drawing closer to God makes Him happy. God said in Deuteronomy do all this so that you will love God and live. Jesus said He came to give you new life, eternal life, the Greek word Zoe. A life so full of God's presence, peace, and power that there is never a time where we are not full of the joy of the Lord, hope of the future, and gift of His glory. Would you like more of this? Would you like to make God happy? Then hear His voice, listen and obey what He says, and respond to the everlasting, personal love of Christ that is given to you by the God who delights in you.