LEVITICUS 2
As the instructions about offerings continue, God’s assurances of acceptance switch to assurances of pleasure. "Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." (vs 8-9)
I remember Christian comedian Mark Lowry once telling the story of his third-grade teacher who told him one day that God liked him. He said it really made an impact on his life. He had heard before that God loved him, but figured that God was sort of forced to do that because "He is love." But, he mused, it’s an entirely different thing to say that you like someone.
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God likes us. He is pleased with us. Again, He wanted the Israelites to have a tangible way of understanding this. He wanted them to know that, not only were they accepted, but they were pleasing to Him. In other words, God didn’t just love them, He liked them.
As God’s special, one-of-a-kind child, He is well-pleased with you. He looks at you and sees beauty! He looks at you and sees value. He wants you to know that He doesn’t just tolerate you. You bring joy to His heart. You bring a smile to His face.
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At the beginning, during Creation week, God finished every day by surveying His work and declaring, "It is good." And when He looks at you, He does the same thing. He says, "You are my beloved child in whom I am well-pleased."