THE WARMTH OF A SMILE

Numbers 6:24-26 says, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

What a wonderful blessing to have God’s face shine upon us, to bask in the favor of His smile. Both Knox and Moffat translate it this way, “The Lord smile on thee.” God’s blessing is His smile. It is the blessing of His favor. It is the affirmation of His love to us.

Let’s read some other Scriptures from the Knox translation:

          Psalm 21:6, “Comforted by the smile of thy favour.”

          Psalm 44:3, “Thy smile shone upon them, in proof of thy favour.”

          Psalm 67:1, “May God be merciful to us, and bless us, may He grant us the favour of His smile.”

          Psalm 80:3,7,19, “Smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance.”

          Psalm 90:17, “The favour of the Lord our God smile upon us.”

          Psalm 89:15, “Happy is the people… that lives, Lord, in the smile of thy protection.”

          Psalm 119:135, “Restore to thy servant the smile of thy loving favour.”

Where do smiles come from? As with everything else, they originate in God. He smiled first before we smiled. He still smiles over us (Zephaniah 3:17).

A smile is like the sun shining upon us. There is one spot in the living area of our home where the sun shines in. I love this spot. I gravitate to it. To bask in the warmth of the sun not only brings warmth to the physical body but also to the soul. You can forget worries and problems when you bask in the sun.

Just as God blesses us with His smile, He wants us to bless our children in the same way. How often do you smile at your children? Occasionally? When they please you? Or do they bask in the warmth of your continual smiles? Smiling at your children will change the atmosphere of your home. It will change the attitudes and behavior of your children.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The more we behold the Lord, the more we grow into His likeness. In the same way, your children look at you all day. They reflect and act out what they see on your face. If you are always frowning at your children, expect to have unhappy and grumbling children. However, if you are always smiling at them, they will in turn become smiling happy children.

William Makepeace Thackeray said, “Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.” Are you showing the smile of God to your children?

They will thrive as they bask in the favor of your smile. Every time you smile at them, you tell them you love them, that you accept them, that you delight in them, and that you are very glad God gave them to you. In the warmth of this blessing they will grow in grace and become all that God intends for them to be. All because of your smiles.

Try it, dear mother. Start smiling at your children. Keep smiling at your children. Smile when you are happy. Smile when you are unhappy. Smile even when you don’t feel like smiling.

NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org