Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
~ Psalm 34:5
I’m that guy. There is no pretense with me, and you can look at my face and tell my mood. If I’m worried or concerned, you can see it. Some people are good at faking it, but my face tells all. I’ve tried to fake it before, but it just doesn’t work. People can look at me and see what’s going on. With me you always know my mood.
What many of you don’t know is that I am a pretty emotional guy. My heart often hurts. Weddings and funerals are especially difficult for me. Seeing people hurt in the hospital or their homes is difficult because I tend to take those burdens on myself. When others hurt, I hurt.
Psalm 34:5 especially hits me this morning because it transcends my issues and problems. Regardless of our circumstances, we should be radiant. What does that mean? How can I do that?
We need to look to the Lord
What does looking to the Lord mean? It means what it says. We cast our gaze toward the Lord. When the world seems to fall apart around us, we look to the Lord. People we love hurt us, and we look to the Lord. People disagree with our thoughts and positions. We look to the Lord. When people turn against us, we look to the Lord. Special people in our lives die…we look to the Lord.
We need help, and we look to the Lord. Why? Because the Lord has the answer to every problem we will ever face. No matter the issue, the Lord is there to help us through it. And because of that, we are radiant. This means we experience joy. When people look at us, we should be radiant and full of joy. Regardless of our issues, we should experience joy because the Lord handles our issues.
I can’t say I always experience joy, and this is because I fail to trust the Lord with my issues. I’m not perfect, but I’m working on it. How about you? When things begin to fall apart, where do you look?
We need to trust the Lord
We experience that joy because we trust the Lord to handle our issues. This passage says we will not be ashamed. In other words, we will not misplace our trust. We don’t trust in things that only provide temporary relief to give us joy. We trust the Lord. Who do you trust when things seem to be more than you can handle. Do you trust your simple understanding, or do you go to God’s word for help and insight?
We can never fail when we go to Scripture as our source of hope. The Lord speaks to us through His word, special people in our lives, and our circumstances. These things push us to trust Him.
This should cause each of us to examine our hearts. It should cause us to think about where we look today. There is no doubt that we will experience things that are uncertain and troubling. How will you handle those things? Will you be radiant because you’re trusting the Lord? When people look at you will they see a reflection of your hope and trust in the Lord?
A simple prayer…
Lord, I know today will bring many surprises. I’m sure that I will have to deal with people who drive me crazy and situations that cause me stress. I look to you today to provide joy in my life. I trust you with every situation and that you will handle those things that concern me most. Thank you, Lord, for caring so much about me that you would handle the small and big things in my life…