For the last number of months I have been on parental leave.  This has afforded me incredible moments with my four sons.

Yesterday my sons and I were out in the backyard mowing the lawn and tidying up toys.  After a couple of hours, my two middle sons spent some time in the tree swing.

The kind of excitement that they both showed when they were pushed way up high is something you have to experience rather than read about, but let’s just say that sheer joy was the expression on their faces.  They were having so much fun.

As I was playing with them I thought about the relationship I have with God.  How He is much higher than I am.  How His thoughts are indefinable toward me.  I am so much more than a child and yet so much less than God.

Just as there is this relationship of love and dependency between me and my sons, there is the same relationship between me and my God. As my sons need a father, so I need my God.

1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 

The very expression and the very countenance of God is love.  He is always smiling at you.

One of the blessings that Aaron spoke over the Jewish people can be found in Numbers 6:24-26 which says, “The LORD bless you, and keep you: The LORD make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you: The LORD lift up his countenance on you, and give you peace.”

The very face of God is love and peace.  Just like my sons and I look at each other with expressions of love toward each other, so does our God want to smile and have fun with each one of us.  He wants you to be happy and He wants to make you happy.  It brings God great joy to bring you joy and to take care of your needs.

When God’s peace and joy are in your hearts, there is nothing else you really need.  His peace will calm every storm and see you through every fire.   You will walk many years and many miles knowing His grace upon your life.  You will look back through time and realize that His hand has been with you all along.

I can remember a time before I allowed God to smile upon me and I consider those years to be cursed years.  My life was a mess that only God could undo, but He did fix it, and now I am extremely happy and blessed.

In fact just yesterday I realized I am now in my 9th year of blessing.  It hit me that it was almost 10 years since I came to Christ.  It has gone by so quickly, but what great years they have been!  And I know that the years ahead will be the same—filled with blessing, joy, peace and love in God.

I know you desire the same for your life and I am here to tell you that it can happen.  Ask Him to come to life in your heart today and see what He will do.