SCRIPTURE: Psalm 80
“Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” (Psalm 80:19)
Asaph quotes the words ‘make your face shine on us’ three times (vv.3,7,19), based on the priestly blessing:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:25-26)
When I use this quote, I will sometimes rephrase it to say “His face smile on you”.
A shining face is a beaming, smiling face, of someone who loves and delights in someone.
Can you think of a time when you were being (rightly) disciplined, and you felt your parents displeasure?
Or a time when you sensed their pleasure, and saw (felt) the glow of their smile?
There are times when we sense God’s sadness, or displeasure (rightly so).
I recently experienced a time like this, and I remember praying something exactly like Asaph.
And thankfully, God’s smile reached my heart, and I sensed His love, forgiveness and blessing.
The priestly blessing reflects God’s heart; pray for it, long for it, wait for it.
For behind whatever is happening, God’s heart is burning white hot for you.
And He longs for you to enjoy the glow of His smiling face.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, the hardest part of living in the sin-messed world is sensing Your displeasure. I know You love me, and I know You hate sin. May Your undeserved smile give me the strength to live my life in a way that makes You smile even more!