As with many areas in life, I find myself ebbing and flowing in my sense of acceptance before the Lord. This may sound strange to you. If our standing before God in Christ is secure, and it is, why should my feelings on the subject change? I have my theories. Whispers of the Enemy, an upbringing focused on appearance rather than relationship, and hormones top the list. Regardless of the source, there are times when my feelings get the best of me and discouragement settles in my heart. Thankfully, God likes to upset the settled.
When God Smiles at You
While in prayer for Trihope several months ago I got the distinct impression of God smiling at me. We were seeking His direction, hoping for answers to specific questions, and all I could think of was God’s face alight with affection for me. The image has remained in my mind and heart.
Several days ago I was struggling with something unrelated. I asked Jesus to sit with me as I opened my Bible before heading to bed. I turned to the Psalms and flipped to Psalms 43 and 44. As I read these words, I knew Jesus had lead me to this passage.
O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.Psalm 44:1-3
The verses touched my heart deeply. I think of the grumpy, complaining Israelites dragging their feet into the Promised Land and I assume God was frustrated with them. But what do these verses say? God “delighted in them.”
Delight Defined
According to Merriam-Webster.com, delight means,
1: a high degree of gratification or pleasure: joy; extreme satisfaction2: something that gives great pleasure
Not only did God rescue the people of Israel from bondage, but He planted them in a place of prosperity, defeated their enemies, and set them free. And he did so with His might and by the light of His face. Why? Because He delighted in them. It brought joy to the heart of God to do good things for His children because His children brought Him joy—for no other reason than they were His.
This brings to mind my mom’s face when she would see me in the crowd of people at the airport. I’d be coming home for Christmas or for a special occasion and she would be there waiting for me to arrive, her face lit up like the sun to see me. I so love and miss her beautiful face!
This is how our relationship with the Lord should be. We should delight in each other. Each one finding joy in the love of the other. Smiles lighting up our faces. Yet even when we are grumpy and disgruntled, and ungrateful for all He has done for us, God smiles at us because He delights in us.
Light in the Darkness
Darkness is part of life. Summer gives way to winter. New babies grow into old men. Day gives way to night. It’s easy to wish we could always be relaxing in the sun, but without the night we wouldn’t enjoy the beauty of the sunset and sunrise, the breathtaking awe of a sky full of stars, or the dazzling display of aurora borealis. The darkness magnifies the light.
So when you find yourself discouraged in a season of darkness, remind yourself of the light of your Lord’s face as He smiles at you with kindness and love. Just tip your bowed head up and look at His face. He loves you. He delights in you. His face lights up in joy over you. And together you and He can face any darkness the Enemy can muster.
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