Radiance, Not Regret

 

Psalm 34:5 (NET) - Look to him and be radiant; do not let your faces be ashamed.

The word radiant means “shining or glowing brightly”.

In the words of the Psalmist, that is how we are meant to be.

But the Psalmist also advises us not to be ashamed.

We are not to show guilt or embarrassment for our past actions or associations.

Each of us, myself included, has a past.

We each have a past full of regrets.

We have endured times of suffering.

We may perhaps be enduring it now.

How, we may ask, is it possible to be radiant and unashamed?

The Psalmist gives us the answer right up front.

We are to look to Him.

But what does that really mean?

Paul sheds some light on this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 12:12 (NET) - Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

Suffering will pass; therefore, it must be endured.

We must look to God which means we must be persistent in prayer.

We are assured there is hope and we can rejoice in that hope.

In times of suffering, guilt and regret it is all too easy to turn away from God.

But in such times, we must do the opposite.

We must look to Him.

As we look to Him, we see His light.

We begin to live in that light.

Moreover, our faces reflect His light and our faces become radiant.

As they become radiant, they are incapable of displaying shame.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 7, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, May 14, 2021

 

Cause and Effect

 

Amos 3:6 (NET) - If an alarm sounds in a city, do people not fear? If disaster overtakes a city, is the Lord not responsible?

The prophet Amos discussed cause and effect in the beginning of the third chapter.

Amos cited numerous examples of cause and effect.

In the first half of this verse, Amos described the sound of an alarm and people’s reaction.

But it is the second half of this verse that most captured my attention.

Amos linked a city’s disaster with the Lord’s responsibility.

In other words, everything is subjected to God’s will.

The disaster which befell the city happened because God willed it so.

This is important for us to remember right now.

We celebrated the resurrection of Christ just a few days ago.

But before His resurrection, Christ was executed in the most painful way possible.

Prior to that, Christ was abandoned by His friends, tortured, and mocked.

Christ endured so very much.

His suffering was an effect.

And, following the reasoning of Amos, this effect must have had a cause.

This cause can be found in Luke’s gospel.

Luke 24:26 (NET) - Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

The reason Christ suffered and died is because it was necessary.

It was also God’s will.

God understood that man was in dire need of salvation.

He also understood that there was only one way to achieve it.

Christ, His only Son, had to suffer and die on our behalf.

What of today?

There are still many who do not have a relationship with Christ.

Is this not a cause?

If so, does this too not require an effect?

On our best day, we are incapable of saving anyone.

Only Christ is capable of that.

Our responsibility, or effect, is introducing others to Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 16, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, April 23, 2021