This devotion entitled, Smile, has put a smile on my face. I can visualize the many times, as a grandfather, I have said to my grandchildren “Smile, Pop Pop wants to see your pretty smile.” I would argue strongly that most of the smiles we see are on the faces of children. They are innocent and have yet to discover the pains of life. Oh, I know that as adults, we smile for photos, but that is for a brief moment. How can we, as God’s people, keep a smile on our faces? For that matter, how do we keep joy in our hearts? Today, it is hard to find people who have the joy of the Lord in their hearts and a smile on their faces. I hear these words, “Why are you so happy? What do you have to smile about?”, as if to say there is nothing for which to be thankful. God’s grace and mercy can light up our faces with a smile. When we can catch hold of Him each day, the Lord gives us reason to smile for it is a new day full of blessings. The scripture lesson is Psalm 3:3.

“But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the One who holds my head high.’

As we look at these profound words, the psalmist thanks God for His protection as enemies surround him. Nevertheless, the psalmist does not lose heart. His heart is beaming with joy and there is a smile on his face, because he knows the One who holds his life in his hands. The psalmist can hold his head high. He has cried out to the Lord and has heard him. He went to bed and the Lord woke him up after a peaceful night. He has a song in his heart, and he sings of the Lord’s goodness. There is no frown on his face. Rather, he has a smile that is as bright as the sun. No matter what the enemy has sought to do, he has found himself safe in the Master’s arms. What a powerful testimony. No matter what life has done to us, we still maintain hope, faith, and confidence that God will continue to provide for us. Perhaps, it is in those times we can sing, “I sing because I am happy, I sing because I am free.” Keep a smile on your face.