Shine Forth

The second morning after Mr. Bill and I were married, I wondered about the nature of this man to whom I had said “I do” and “I will.” Atop the highest floor of the hotel, in the honeymoon suite, my new husband yanked the curtains open and proclaimed, “Sun’s a’shin’ in the swamp!”

The song of Psalm 80 uses the word “shine” four times, and three of those are part of the writer’s plea, “Let Your face shine that we may be saved!” (80:3, 7, 19). Now, Mr. Bill’s an early-riser; he loves to see the dawn-of-the-day – that lesson came early and painfully to me. Me, I’d rather enjoy a sunset from the front porch swing. The thought of feeling the warmth of God’s Face invokes happy thoughts, however, there is a prerequisite (a requirement, a condition) to such a measure of God’s response to this plea: “Restore us …” (V.3, 7, 19). An insurance company “restores” property to its condition before the time of loss. How then is the heart of man “restored?” John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). A “broken and contrite heart” before God is what He desires most (Psalm 51:17), and the broken (humbled) spirit of man leads to true confession and repentance. Only then are we restored to the “joy of our salvation” (Psalm 51:12), and only then will God’s Face shine upon us. Oh, how America needs God to “shine forth” once again upon the people of this once-great nation. I hope I never witness the “sun a’shinin’” in a swamp, but it is my prayer each day that God’s Face shine upon me. How about you?