EXPRESSIONS
EXPRESSIONS
“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:25-26
You're already nervous. Though you feel confident about your resume and your ability to do the job, you just don't have a good feeling about the first round of interviews. You set up straight and tall, but the interviewer rarely looked up from the paper. When you attempted to answer questions, his arms remained crossed, face flat – stern even.
The whole affair seemed so tense you were shocked when they called you back for a second interview. Then the CEO walked in with a strong stride and a serious expression. You cinched your doom approaching. But suddenly, a great big smile stretched across his face, and he reached out his hand in greeting. “I know you,” he said with a grin, then explained that he had grown up in the same class as your dad. His tone was casual, his expression positive, and you could feel the pressure ease. It was OK to be yourself, to communicate clearly and confidently without fear of future rejection.
For some people, approaching God in prayer is like an uncomfortable interview. They picture Him stark and angry, brow furrowed, presence demanding. No wonder they reserve prayer for emergency situations. But God is not that way. The cross of Christ nullified every ounce of His anger toward your sin. He knows you, His beloved children. We're not only forgiven but also cherished. God's expression toward us is full of light and love; The depths of who we are always meets with His smile.
When you talk to God this morning, imagine the best expression of joy you've ever seen. Then multiply the effect in your mind, and marvel that God's face shines on you today!
+++
Over the years of I have served as a pastor, I have found many people who were fearful of God. They prayed but it was always very formal and very structured. There seemed to be a fear that if they spoke the wrong way God would become angry with them. As time has passed, I have tried to help people understand that God is a gracious God, and a loving God, a God who yearns to connect with his children.
It's hard for us to imagine God on his throne with a smile on his face. We so often picture him as the old bearded man with a stern look on his face. But that is not our God. Our God is described as a God of love. His heart is full of love for his children. His heart was grieved when his children were lost to him because of sin. And he willingly sacrificed the most important thing that he possessed in order to restore us unto himself. The cross of Jesus Christ was not an accident. It was planned before the foundation of the world because even the thought of not having us as his children grieved him before he created us. When a child of God comes home the father responds like the father in the prodigal son story, a father who rejoices and celebrates.
One of my favorite Bible passages has become the words of Zephaniah. Listen to them
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
I'd like to take a few moments and break this verse down. 1st, The Lord your God is in your midst. What does this say to us? Our God is very near to us not distant. He draws close to us because he wants to be with us. He yearns for a relationship.
2nd, He is a victorious warrior. This means that our God has conquered and won the victory. We understand the fulfillment of this to be at the cross of Christ and the empty tomb where our sin was forgiven an eternal life was obtained for us.
3rd, He will rejoice over you with joy. Before the cross of Christ God could not rejoice over us because we were separated from Him. All that was present in His heart was love for the one He could not possess. Since the one who was lost has been brought back home, God can now rejoice over you. The fact that you are His child fills His heart with joy.
4th, He will quiet you with his love. Are you fearful of the One who loves you? When we are loved we anticipate the very best coming to us, not the worst. God's heart is filled with love for you and He only desires what is best for you to bless your life.
5th, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. It's hard to imagine God sitting up on His throne, turning His attention toward you, rising from His throne and filling eternity with shouts of joy. Joy stemming from the love that is in His heart for you. But this is exactly what Zephaniah sees.
God is not some distant uncaring God. He is not stern and angry. He is filled with love and excitement that you belong to Him. Hold on to this truth and let it fill your heart with peace and joy.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:25-26
You're already nervous. Though you feel confident about your resume and your ability to do the job, you just don't have a good feeling about the first round of interviews. You set up straight and tall, but the interviewer rarely looked up from the paper. When you attempted to answer questions, his arms remained crossed, face flat – stern even.
The whole affair seemed so tense you were shocked when they called you back for a second interview. Then the CEO walked in with a strong stride and a serious expression. You cinched your doom approaching. But suddenly, a great big smile stretched across his face, and he reached out his hand in greeting. “I know you,” he said with a grin, then explained that he had grown up in the same class as your dad. His tone was casual, his expression positive, and you could feel the pressure ease. It was OK to be yourself, to communicate clearly and confidently without fear of future rejection.
For some people, approaching God in prayer is like an uncomfortable interview. They picture Him stark and angry, brow furrowed, presence demanding. No wonder they reserve prayer for emergency situations. But God is not that way. The cross of Christ nullified every ounce of His anger toward your sin. He knows you, His beloved children. We're not only forgiven but also cherished. God's expression toward us is full of light and love; The depths of who we are always meets with His smile.
When you talk to God this morning, imagine the best expression of joy you've ever seen. Then multiply the effect in your mind, and marvel that God's face shines on you today!
+++
Over the years of I have served as a pastor, I have found many people who were fearful of God. They prayed but it was always very formal and very structured. There seemed to be a fear that if they spoke the wrong way God would become angry with them. As time has passed, I have tried to help people understand that God is a gracious God, and a loving God, a God who yearns to connect with his children.
It's hard for us to imagine God on his throne with a smile on his face. We so often picture him as the old bearded man with a stern look on his face. But that is not our God. Our God is described as a God of love. His heart is full of love for his children. His heart was grieved when his children were lost to him because of sin. And he willingly sacrificed the most important thing that he possessed in order to restore us unto himself. The cross of Jesus Christ was not an accident. It was planned before the foundation of the world because even the thought of not having us as his children grieved him before he created us. When a child of God comes home the father responds like the father in the prodigal son story, a father who rejoices and celebrates.
One of my favorite Bible passages has become the words of Zephaniah. Listen to them
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
I'd like to take a few moments and break this verse down. 1st, The Lord your God is in your midst. What does this say to us? Our God is very near to us not distant. He draws close to us because he wants to be with us. He yearns for a relationship.
2nd, He is a victorious warrior. This means that our God has conquered and won the victory. We understand the fulfillment of this to be at the cross of Christ and the empty tomb where our sin was forgiven an eternal life was obtained for us.
3rd, He will rejoice over you with joy. Before the cross of Christ God could not rejoice over us because we were separated from Him. All that was present in His heart was love for the one He could not possess. Since the one who was lost has been brought back home, God can now rejoice over you. The fact that you are His child fills His heart with joy.
4th, He will quiet you with his love. Are you fearful of the One who loves you? When we are loved we anticipate the very best coming to us, not the worst. God's heart is filled with love for you and He only desires what is best for you to bless your life.
5th, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. It's hard to imagine God sitting up on His throne, turning His attention toward you, rising from His throne and filling eternity with shouts of joy. Joy stemming from the love that is in His heart for you. But this is exactly what Zephaniah sees.
God is not some distant uncaring God. He is not stern and angry. He is filled with love and excitement that you belong to Him. Hold on to this truth and let it fill your heart with peace and joy.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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