Hearing God Through the YearIsampula

God’s Face Turned Toward Us

“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 6:24-26 (NIV)

“Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.” Psalm 31:16 (NIV)

Many think they can get by in life with a God who does not speak. But it is not much of a life, and it is certainly not the life God intends for us or the abundance of life that Jesus Christ came to make available. We can have the confidence, comfort and peace that come from knowing we are indeed in communication with God himself.

Have you ever watched a child who loves her father but the father’s face is continually directed away from that child—not “shining” upon her? Have you been in that place yourself? Did you experience your father’s or mother’s turning away from you in anger and withdrawal—when their faces did not shine but instead scowled at you or ignored you? Communication was cut off. You were agonized by it until you learned to harden your heart against it. 

In a similar way a certain communication is absolutely necessary to our having the kind of confidence and peace appropriate to a child of God. Without real communication from God, our view of the world is impersonal, however glorious we may find God’s creation. There is all the difference in the world between having a general view that this is our Father’s world (or even that God has arranged for our eternal redemption) and having confidence, based in experience, that the Father’s face is turned toward us, shining upon us, and that the Father is speaking to us individually.

MEDITATION: Take Moses’ blessing above and savor it for yourself: “The Lord blesses me and keeps me . . . makes his face to shine upon me . . . the Lord turns his face toward me . . .” Consider that this is the reality in which we live. 

Now, pray Psalm 31:16: 

“Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”

First, offer the two requests. Second, thank God for answering them. Finally, thank God for being a personal, communicative God.