They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.—Psalm 34:5
Beloved…How can we please God? When will He lift the light of His beautiful countenance upon us? Psalm 34:5 has the answer. When we look to our God in faith, He shines upon us. If we walk in unbelief our faces are ashamed. Aglow or ashamed? I choose aglow.
Warren Wiersbe says that the word radiant in verse 5 describes the joyful countenance of a mother who is welcoming her children home.
"Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.—Isaiah 60:4-5
I can remember coming home from grade school and running up the back porch steps just to see the heartwarming smile on my mom’s face when she greeted us. Lunch was always ready and she would always stay with us as we ate. How infinitely more wonderful it would be to live in the light of my Lord’s radiant smile?
Oh Father, I want to live in the light of Your countenance. May I look to You in all things and for all things for without you I can do nothing good.
There are many who say,
"Who will show us any good?"
LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.—Psalm 4:6
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."'
"So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.—Exodus 34:29
and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.—Matthew 17:2
And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.—Acts 6:15
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.—Psalm 90:17
