Ps 80:3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:3 NKJV
By Bro. John L. Cash
The Bible tells us that we’re made in the image of God. In my way of thinking, that explains a lot of things people do. I’ll tell you more about that another time.
But looking through my son’s wedding pictures has made me think about another human attribute we’ve all received from our Creator. God has a face. And we all have faces, too.
In the Old Testament, if God’s face shines upon you, it is a very good thing. But if God turns His face from you (or His face is against you), well, things aren’t good at all. In the New Testament, God has a human face. St. Paul says it this way: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV)
I’ve been looking at my face and Susan’s face in the wedding pictures — especially when we’re telling the newlyweds good-bye. I’ve been looking at the pictures of the faces of Robert and Michelle (Madeline’s parents), too. Something I’d never noticed before is that our Creator has made us so that our faces are directly connected to our hearts.
All of this has made me even more certain that God exists because our hearts and faces couldn’t have just happened by chance. He’s made us so rich and complicated that we can feel a thousand feelings at once. And He’s wired us so that all the feelings of our hearts get written on our faces.
The next time somebody is showing the pictures of their wedding, take some time to study the parents’ faces. All in the same instant you’ll be able to see:
Sadness at l
osing a son
And joy in gaining a daughter.
The presence of loved ones still living
And the absence of those now gone.
The departure of the baby they once rocked to sleep
And the hope for grandchildren one day.
The happiness of the moment
And concerns for the future;
Gain mingled with loss.
Memories of God’s faithfulness
And hope for His continued blessing.
I’ve always known that God pours His love into our hearts. Something I’ve come to realize is that He proclaims His presence on our faces.
If the feelings I have in my heart are any indicator of the image of God, two things I can be very sure of: God is very great, and God is very good.
Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and has spent the last 28 years being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. (On week days he has a desk-job at a public school, and until recently taught Latin on closed-circuit-television.) He and his lovely wife, Susan, live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where Madeline is playing the piano today because Miss Cheryl has gone camping.) Their kids include Spencer (age 22), his wife Madeline (age 22), and Seth (age 19).
Photos courtesy of Danny K Photography. Click here to visit his website.
