Is Your Face Radiant?

Psalm 34: 5-8 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

The first of this says that those who truly have a personal relationship with Jesus shine. Many times when people are speaking or singing to the Lord you can see this shiny appearance on their faces. I never thought of this before but those people also have asked for forgiveness of their sins and therefore have no shame on their faces. I am reminded of Pastor Paul Valentine. He always seemed to be glowing. He always had a smile on his face. His life as a pastor could not have been always easy! But he has spent his life preaching the Gospel and winning souls to Christ because of his confidence in the Cross and its message, and because of the work of the Lord in his life. He occasionally told a painful story about how when he was younger, he had a really bad stuttering problem. He was helped in this problem by someone who cared enough to disciple and counsel with him in this matter: he was to put a whole bunch of pebbles in his mouth and one by one take them out as he talked. He had to learn to talk with pebbles in his mouth. It worked! He was delivered from this bondage of stuttering. And what an eloquent speaker of God he became. Some of his sermons are still foremost in my mind, even after 30 years. He is a clear example of God’s power.

There is an actual prayer and promise from the Lord in this next verse. As it is a poor man it shows once again how Jesus looks after everyone’s problems if they believe in him. It goes on to say that he will deliver them --just like this poor man who takes refuge or abides in Jesus. He will be their defense attorney on that day of judgment.

Dear Lord, thank you for going ahead of me and being my attorney. You will say at my judgment day, “Not guilty.” And I will get a pass into heaven! Wow! It is just too much to even fathom after the things that I have done against you in my life. Though I am filled with regret, I give those regrets and sins back to you and repent of them, and you forgive me and say, I remember them no longer – now go and sin no more.” You are kind and forgiving and you wipe my slate clean. I need to do this for others, because you have done it for me. Amen.

Thought for the Day: Is there anyone you need to forgive just as Jesus forgave you? Ask God to search your heart for any hidden resentments toward another and ask Him to soften your heart against that situation or person.