January 8, 2021
What Does the Face of God Look Like?
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
The LORD does what is right, and He loves justice, so honest people will see His face (Psalm 11:7, NCV).
Friend to Friend
Worship is a word we often use but something we rarely experience. Oh, we say we are going to a worship service each Sunday, but do we really encounter the living God? Or do we merely participate in another weekly religious gathering?
When was the last time you walked away from a worship service – eternally changed because God met you there? We misunderstand what true worship is and fail to recognize the requirements of worship.
A preacher, out for a walk, noticed a group of boys standing around a small stray dog. “What are you doing, boys?” he asked. “Telling lies,” one young man explained. “The one who tells the biggest lie gets the dog.” The minister was shocked! “When I was your age I never even thought about telling a lie,” he said. The boys’ faces fell in disappointment. One young man shrugged and said, “I guess he wins the dog.”
To worship God means that we must come before Him with an honest heart. No, we cannot actually see His face, but we can understand who He is, recognize His power, and acknowledge His sovereignty. True worship takes place in an honest heart.
Honesty is a rapidly disappearing attribute. Truth is hedged and masked. Integrity is compromised. “Mom isn’t here” our children say when we want to avoid the caller. We silently pocket the change that was counted incorrectly. Untruths we label as “small white lies” punctuate our character until authenticity is forfeited.
A life of integrity demands honesty. So does worship.
The LORD does what is right, and He loves justice, so honest people will see His face (Psalm 11:7, NCV).
Worship is all about seeking the face of God. We cannot truly seek Him until we are willing to come before Him in absolute abandonment … completely and totally honest before Him.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a woman who came to dinner at the home of Simon Peter. This woman came for one reason alone - she had heard that Jesus would be there. It was common knowledge that this woman was a prostitute with a terrible reputation. Everyone at the party knew exactly who she was and what she had done. Simon would never have allowed - much less invited - this kind of woman to his home.
It was also common knowledge that when a Rabbi was invited to someone’s house, others could stop by and listen to the conversation. This woman was desperate. She knew everyone at the party would recognize her and judge her, but she came anyway!
Don’t miss this truth! This woman’s desire to meet Jesus was greater than her pride.
She came openly - hiding nothing. She came just like she was, a sinful woman.
No pretense.
No hypocrisy.
Just authenticity.
She came with an honest heart.
What was the response of Jesus? It is really important that we zero in on this part of the story. Jesus met her at the point of brutal honesty. As a matter of fact, He was waiting for her to come. Jesus went to that party for several reasons.
He went to teach Simon Peter a lesson.
He went to share God’s truth with all who would be there.
He went – knowing this sinful woman would come, seeking His love and His forgiveness. He knew everything about her, and still He came.
God loves us for one reason alone. He. Is. Love.
Just like He waited for this broken woman to show up at Simon Peter’s home, He waits for us to come to Him – with open hearts, empty hands, and humble spirits.
Like this woman, I am weary.
I am no longer willing to waste energy trying to be someone God did not create me to be.
I really do want to be an honest woman. I want to become a woman that pleases God and makes Him smile.
Let’s Pray
Father, I confess that I do not truly understand what it means to worship You in the way that You desire, but I want to. I lay down my pride and my arrogance, confessing that without You, I am nothing. Teach me what it means to truly worship You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
- Examine your life in the light of honesty.
- Come before Him wrapped in that spiritual honesty.
- Refuse to fall back into old habits that would corrupt your newfound authenticity.
More from the Girlfriends
Jesus lived and died so that we can experience joy! Mary’s spiral bound journal, Joy for the Journey, will help guide you to a place of contentment and joy.
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email at mary@marysoutherland.com or on Facebook.
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