Are you troubled about your acceptance with God? If you knew that He is pleased with you, that He smiles at you approvingly, would you be happy? I am always happy if someone I respect smiles at me with warm acceptance as though he/she really likes me and wants me to be nearby. It gives such a good feeling inside to know that you are chosen, to be appreciated for what you are.
Now, my question is: do you have the assurance that God feels that way about you? Or are you afraid that He frowns at you?
When you feel that way, everything seems to go wrong. The Psalmist prays to God saying, "We are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance" (Psalm 90:7, 8). That is a statement of universal human feelings. So much so that most people simply banish from their minds any thoughts of God at all. They want to avoid Him like you would avoid a cantankerous neighbor.
How can we get God to smile at us? The pagan says, "Offer Him sacrifices! That will make Him pleased with you." In fact, ancient Israel thought the same way, because Amos tried to straighten them out, telling them in the name of the Lord, "Though ye offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them" (5:22). Not far away from the pagans is our hope that all our righteous works will get Him to smile at us.
For God to smile at us with approval is the same as for Him to justify us, for that is its meaning. If your friend smiles at you with approval, it simply means that he/she justifies you. Now the question is: Are we justified in God's sight by our good works, or by grace through faith? We find the beginning of the answer in Matthew 3:17: when Jesus was baptized, the Father said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." That's what we want! When the Father said that, He included you! He accepted the human race, "in Christ." If you find that hard to believe, read what the author of The Desire of Ages says on page 113. It's true!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 27, 1998.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
