Father's Shine

Listening to a sweet song called "Shine" today, I cried again. Oh! ... this ministry of tears! How can I express in words the deep joy that wells up, mixed with deep sorrow... Rain and sunshine stormed and shone in my soul as I cried and prayed over the nations, my friends, my neighbors, and my family.

The song is a simple verse put to beautiful music. Simply it says, it sings....

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine,

Make His face shine,

Make His face shine... upon us. (Psalm 67:1)

That Your ways may be known,

Your salvation among the nations.

Shine.

Shine.

As I prayed, in my mind's eye, I could just see His face, my sweet, dear, Almighty, loving Father's face shining. Can you just imagine it? Can you imagine His face shining in all His glory, His Truth, His light, His righteousness, His grace, His love? Imagine it a moment and sit in that for a sweet minute.

I could almost picture His face shining on... the nations, my family, my friends, my neighbors... and it was beautiful. Each one... one by one, I pictured His face shining on them as they came to mind. It was a beautiful picture and it was a painful picture. What it could be if they would reflect the shining? What could it be if He would shine and they would turn and look up?

There was beauty in the moment because the picture is "as it should be"! I can almost see her, my friend, with His face shining on her ... and her face upward turned in worship. But the moment was mixed with pain and sorrow. Joy and sorrow meet. Painful, because she doesn't yet seek it, she doesn't see it, she doesn't know His love. Painful because the picture is the "not yet" and instead a hoped for "what could be".

What does it look like for the gracious face of God to shine on someone? I don't have to look far. He shone on me. He has shone on me so many, so many times. His face has shone. His face shines on me.

Make Your face shine my sweet Father!

"Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord." Psalm 4:6

To listen to this prayer song, go to http://www.owm.org/music-media/music and on the right click on Shine (2009) album and play "Shine" the song. See if you can't help but pray with them as they sing!! ...and you might even cry!

Or enjoy the video with the song.

"The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6: 24-25