THE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE

IN THE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE

Have you ever wondered why some projects prosper while others fall flat on their face? I have, many times.

I believe the Lord gave me an insight a few days ago about some of the reasons for it all.

I discovered that the FACE OF THE LORD makes all the difference in the world.

His FACE is turned either TOWARD us, or AGAINST US. It is determined almost entirely by our relationship to Him and His Desires for us.

The ATTITUDE we display toward God and HIS PRINCIPLES helps to determine whether we will have His BLESSING, or whether we will be HINDERED in what we try to do. It is often much easier, and convenient, for us to SAY that we love the Lord than it is to conform our life style to His Principles. We often find ourselves in the unhappy state of “drawing nigh with our lips when our heart is far from Him.”

Sometimes we verbally ask the Lord to BLESS US, while our ACTIONS ARE SCREAMING FOR A GOOD PADDLING.

The Lord is more concerned with what we ARE than in what we can SAY or DO.

“I often say my prayers, but do I ever pray?
And do the feelings of my heart go with the words I say?

I may as well kneel down and worship gods of stone
As offer to the Living God a prayer of words alone.

For words without the heart the Lord will never hear
Nor will He to these lips attend, whose prayers are not sincere.”

Few writers could express the desire for the approval of the Lord better than the Psalmist did.

(Psa 13:1) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

(Psa 27:9) Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

(Psa 30:7) LORD, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

(Psa 69:17) And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

(Psa 102:2) Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

(Psa 143:7) Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

(Psa 89:15) Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

(Psa 4:6) There be many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

(Psa 44:3) For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.

(Mic 3:4) Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

(Deu 31:17) Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? :18) And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

Following is a copy of a note I have carried in my Bible for many years. The late John Lake gave it to me.

"I would rather play with the forked lightning, or take in my hand live wires, with their fiery current, than to speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others, to the hurt of their OWN SOULS AND BODIES.

You may wonder, perhaps, why your sickness is not healed, your spirit filled with the joy of the Holy Ghost, or your life blessed and prosperous. It may be that some dart which you have flung with angry voice, or in an idle hour of thoughtless gossip, is pursuing you on its way, as it describes the circle which always brings back to the source from which it came every idle shaft of bitterness, and every idle word.

Let us remember that when we persecute or hurt the children of God, we are but persecuting Him, and hurting OURSELVES far more.

Lord, make me as sensitive to the feelings and rights of others as I have often been to my own, and let me live and love like Thee."
----A. B. Simpson