Face Lift

Heb.11:1-2 (ERV) “Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.”

Ps.34:5 “Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” (emphasis added). What it means is that what I believe affects how I act, and it is going to show. How I act affects what I believe, and it is going to show on my face. You cannot see somebody that believes but is gloomy. It is going to show on your face. What is showing on your face is telling us what you believe. If you believe and look onto Him, you will be radiant, it will show on your face. If you are not radiant, you are not looking up to Him. If you are gloomy, you are looking somewhere else. Check! “Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy…”

When I really believe that God is going to help me, whatever the situation may be. That belief does not only exist in my heart, or in my head. It starts to show on my face and in my actions, and that is what we see play out in Hannah’s life. 1 Sam.1:18 (NAS) “… (Hannah) went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” (emphasis added). Note that the situation had not changed yet, Hannah had not yet become pregnant. Did the Holy Ghost overshadow her in the temple and give her a baby? Nope. Hannah had not become pregnant, there was no cute baby bump yet. Hannah was not yet pregnant, but her face had changed.

How? The situation had not changed, but her face had changed. What happened? What happened is this, she was holding on to the Word while she was crying. Now she has heard His voice through Eli. 1 Sam.1:17 (TLB) “Eli said, ‘Cheer up!  May the Lord of Israel grant you your petition, whatever it is!’” (emphasis added). Many people hear God’s voice, but they do not really hear it. I pray that you will really hear His voice in the Name of Jesus. Sometimes, even after hearing God’s voice, some people say to God, ‘let me continue to cry, I want to finish my crying’. 

The voice of your God is an assurance. Which God is this? The One “…who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17b, NIV). She did not know how it was going to play out. But she believed that “God is faithful and reliable.” (1 John 1:9a, GWT), and it changed her countenance. When I hear His voice and trust His faithfulness, my response can precede the result. Ps.27:13  (NKJV) “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Prayer: Father, You are the God who does not change like shifting shadows. Therefore, I fix my eyes on You alone and I radiate with joy, in Jesus Name. Amen!