Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. – Genesis 6:5-8 NKJV. 

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” – Genesis 7:1 NKJV.  

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. – Psalm 147:11 NKJV. 

The Kilauea Volcano is smiling; yes, it is smiling, and there is video evidence of the smile. The volcano smiley face has two glowing eyes and a long crooked smile. The volcano smiley face was filmed by Mick Kalber from a helicopter belonging to Paradise Helicopters. The Kilauea volcano is a very active and has erupted continuously since 1983 and is located on the Big Island of Hawaii. The lava flow from the volcano has reached the ocean for the first time in three years. You can view the photos and video of the volcanic smiley face at this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3715583/Mother-nature-flashes-smile-Hawaii-volcano-appears-red-hot-grin-complete-glowing-eyes-molten-lava-hits-sea.html (DailyMail 08.01.16)  

We visited the Big Island of Hawaii in 1995 and the volcano was one of the more memorable things that we saw on the island. However, there were no smiley faces in the volcano then. In 1995, the lava flow was reaching the ocean and we along with a large number of other people tried to get as close as we could to view it. I remember we were still a long way away from the lava flow when the heat became unbearable and we had to turn away.  

Seeing the video of the volcanic smiley face this morning made me think of this question: Does God smile? And if God does smile, what would make Him smile upon our lives? Searching the Bible, depending upon which translation is used, there are only three to five references to the word smile. However, although the Bible does not specifically reference God smiling I believe that God does smile if you think of Him as being pleased with the lives of some of His servants.  

God appears to be pleased with His servants Enoch and Noah. Why? Because Enoch and Noah pleased God. But how did they please God. In Hebrews 11, it is revealed that it was by faith that Enoch and Noah pleased God. The writer of Hebrews comments on Enoch’s faith by saying this, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:5-6).” The writer of Hebrews also comments on how Noah pleased God by saying, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV).” 

How can we make God smile? King David tells us in Psalm 51 in his prayer of repentance: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:15-17 NKJV).” In Romans 10, we see more specifically how we can make God smile as we are told, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:12-13 NKJV).’” The Amplified Bible puts the last part of Romans 10:12 as, “[He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer].” The New American Standard Bible puts this as “abounding in riches for all who call on Him.”  

So, how can we make God smile? “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).” By faith receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, and you will surely make God smile. And, then by faith walk with God as did Enoch and Noah, and God will surely smile even more!