{"id":883,"date":"2009-09-20T04:01:32","date_gmt":"2009-09-20T04:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/09\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-67.html"},"modified":"2009-09-20T04:01:32","modified_gmt":"2009-09-20T04:01:32","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-67","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/09\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-67.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

God’s Shining Face<\/h3>\n

READ Psalm 67:1-7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0May God be merciful and bless us.
\nMay his face smile with favor on us.<\/p>\n

Psalm 67:1<\/a><\/p>\n

The New Living Translation of Psalm 67:1 speaks of God\u2019s face smiling with favor on us. This accurately renders the sense of the original language, which reads literally: \u201cMay [God\u2019s] face shine upon us.\u201d Peoples of the Ancient Near East would often speak of the shining face of a king or a god. This image may have been based on the way in which a smile \u201clights up\u201d one\u2019s face. Or it could have been related to the shining of the sun. At any rate, the shining, smiling face of God does not only convey God\u2019s pleasure, but also his blessing. When God\u2019s face shines upon us, he pours his goodness and grace into our lives.
\nThe image of God\u2019s shining face appears in the classic Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26: \u201cThe LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace\u201d (ESV). This passage, including the image of God\u2019s shining face, appears on two small silver scrolls that were found in a burial cave in Jerusalem. These scrolls, inscribed about 700 years before Christ, contain the oldest existing text of Scripture. Thus, they bear witness to the power of the metaphor of God\u2019s shining face.
\nI know many people who think of God as continually frowning on them. They take seriously God\u2019s displeasure over our sin, and rightly so. But they neglect the good news of God\u2019s love for us and delight in us. In Christ, we are God\u2019s beloved children. He takes joy in us and seeks to bless us. How different our lives would be if we lived each day with the image of God\u2019s shining, smiling face emblazoned on our souls. How reassured we would be of his love for us, and how encouraged we would be to live each moment for his glory and pleasure.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: Do you ever think of God as smiling with favor on you? Why or why not? How have you experienced God\u2019s blessings? In what ways does your life delight the heart of God?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Gracious God, when I think of you looking upon my life, I must confess that my first thought is of my sin. I know that my disobedience displeases you, and it\u2019s surely right for me to take this seriously. But it is equally true that you look upon me with love, mercy, and compassion. Moreover, you delight in me as I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice.
\nO Lord, may I live today, and each day, in the light of your shining face. May I remember your good pleasure in me.
\nEmboldened by Psalm 67, I ask you to smile upon me even more, to be merciful to me and bless me. As I receive yet more of your grace, may I give it away generously to others. Let me shine in this world, reflecting your light to others. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nHere’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

God’s Shining Face READ Psalm 67:1-7 \u00a0May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. Psalm 67:1 The New Living Translation of Psalm 67:1 speaks of God\u2019s face smiling with favor on us. This accurately renders the sense of the original language, which reads literally: \u201cMay [God\u2019s] face shine…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}