The smile of God is victory.

Hear the words of John Greenleaf Whittier, the poet of faith and freedom: “The smile of God is victory.” This saying is short, yet it resounds like the strike of a great bell across the valleys of time. For in these words, Whittier unveils the deepest truth: that triumph is not measured in crowns, nor in gold, nor in the praise of men, but in the favor of the Eternal. To feel the smile of God upon one’s life is to know that every struggle, every sorrow, every sacrifice, has been met with the light of divine approval. That is the true victory.

Whittier spoke in the 19th century, a man who labored not only in poetry but in conscience. He was a voice in the abolitionist movement, denouncing the sin of slavery when such a stance cost reputation and security. For him, victory was not the easy triumph of power, but the harder triumph of righteousness. When he wrote of the smile of God, he spoke as one who believed that even in loss, even in worldly defeat, the soul that stands with truth is crowned with heaven’s blessing.

The ancients also knew this wisdom. Recall the story of Leonidas and his three hundred at Thermopylae. They fell, surrounded and outnumbered, yet their stand became eternal. To the world, it seemed defeat; to history, it was glory. In their courage, one can imagine the unseen smile of God, for they had chosen honor over safety. Their victory was not in surviving, but in leaving an immortal testimony of courage that would inspire generations.

So too in more recent history: think of Martin Luther King Jr. standing before crowds, proclaiming justice, even though threats shadowed his every step. The night before his death, he declared that he had “been to the mountaintop” and had seen the Promised Land. He knew his life might end, yet he knew also that his cause was just. Though bullets struck him down, the cause lived on. The smile of God rested upon his faithfulness, and in that, his life was crowned with eternal victory.

The teaching here is not that success will always look like triumph in the eyes of men. Many who walk in truth are mocked, many who fight for justice are scorned. But Whittier reminds us that victory is higher than applause, and more enduring than earthly crowns. True victory is when one’s actions align with the goodness of heaven, and the eternal gaze looks upon you with approval. That is the triumph no enemy can steal.

The lesson, beloved, is this: do not measure your worth by the fleeting judgments of the crowd. Seek instead the deeper reward, the radiant smile of God. When you act with integrity, when you choose compassion over cruelty, when you hold fast to truth though it costs you everything, then—even if the world calls you defeated—you stand as one crowned in glory.

Therefore, let this be your practice: labor for righteousness, not recognition. Endure hardship with faith. When you fall, fall with honor; when you rise, rise with humility. For the smile of God is the highest reward, and to walk in His light is the only victory that endures. And when your days are done, may your spirit rest knowing that heaven itself has smiled upon your journey, and in that smile, you have conquered all.