Putting God to the Test
April 19, 2024
The smiling heart
June 22, 2018
So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. - JONAH 4:6-7
Jonah smiled at the wrong thing at the wrong time. What puts a smile in your heart that erupts onto your face? Someone showed me a picture and said of the person in the photo, “I hardly recognized him because he’s smiling.” I studied the portrait. “In fact,” said my friend, “he’s a handsome guy, but I never thought of him that way before.”
A smile makes a big difference in your appearance. The problem is, like Jonah, many times we have only a facial smile and not a heart smile. Jonah’s heart was rebellious. He smiled because in his attempt to run from God he wound up under a scorching sun, then found some momentary shelter. When the tree died, so did the smile.
If your heart smiles from its love for God, obedience to Him, and joy in His service, the smile won’t fade!
TODAY’S FOCUS
What puts a smile on your face? Seek God for the deep joy that causes your heart to smile and your face to express it.
