Week 4: Seeing the Face of God

contributed by Exec. Pastor Craig Luper

Monday 2/25

Reading: Psalm 34:3
“Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.”

In seeing the face of the Lord we enter His courts and glorify Him, pushing everything besides Him into the background. We focus not on ourselves, but “fixing our eyes on Jesus,” we adore Him for who He is. We do not ask anything from Him, but only love Him and adore Him. We boast in the Lord (I Corinthians 1:29). Loveliness has great power in it. When we get a glimpse of Him, we change. We seek Him to give Him honor and receive His love.

Start the first of the week off right by glorifying the Lord, and exalting His name!

Tuesday 2/26

Reading: Romans 8:15
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

In seeing the face of God, we must remember that we did not receive a spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, in which we cry out, Abba, Father. One of the many faces of God is the Father’s face. Many people see God as a very hard taskmaster, not as a loving father. But he is really the loving daddy. He’s the Luke 15 father standing on the porch waiting for his son to come home. Not to scold him or tell him “I told you so,” but to love him, put a robe on him (symbolizing covering shame and guilt) and rejoice because his son once was lost, but has now come home. Today, take some time to look into the face of a loving father and see how much he loves you.

Wednesday 2/27

Reading: Micah 7:18
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”

One of the awesome faces of God is the Passionate, Pursuing, and Loving God. He is constantly chasing after us, wooing us, loving us. How amazing is that? Isaiah says, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rise to show you. For the Lord is a God of justice.” God longs to be gracious to us, he’s not looking to whip us at the first offense. I John says that God first loved us, we didn’t pursue Him, he pursued us first! He passionately, loves you! Doesn’t matter what you feel like today, whether you believe that or not, IT IS A FACT. So today just look to the Father that is passionately, pursuing you and draw near to Him.

Thursday 2/28

Reading: Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….”

One of the great images of the face of God is that of a Shepherd. Psalm 23 is such a great snap shot of what the Shepherd (God) does for his sheep. He brings rest to my weary soul; He leads me to quiet places so that my soul may be restored. He guides me, and when I walk through those valleys of darkness I don’t have to fear anything; because the Shepherd is there to defend me. He prepares a table for me, because He knows my needs, and He fills me with His Spirit and when He fills me my cup overflows. His goodness and love follow me where ever I go, and He gives me a promise that I will dwell with Him in His house. WOW

Friday 2/29

Reading: Zephaniah 3:16,17
“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

I want you think about 3 things out of this verse. First thing is that God takes great delight in you! Yes, you.
You say, “How could He delight in me, I’ve done so many bad things?” He just does, doesn’t matter what you’ve done; he delights in you.
Second thing in this verse is that he will quiet you with his love.
In the midst of turmoil, heartache, financial problems, martial problems; He comes and quiets you with his love. Not with empty and vain promises but with an everlasting love.
The third thing in this verse is that he rejoices over you with singing.
God thinks so much about you and is so crazy about you that he rejoices over you with songs that He has made up for especially you. So today as you drive down the road or sit in your office, or in the living room; see a God who is mighty to save, and takes great delight in you and will quiet you in all that you are going through, and rejoices over you with singing. Now that’s an awesome God.