“The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:24).
What a glorious day—clear blue skies and 75 degrees! In February even. We northerners have learned to survive our long cold winters. But we truly love a day when the sun smiles down on us, warming our skin, dazzling our eyes with reflected light around us.
Sunshine lifts our spirits. We perk up, and even smile more, as we try to head outside. It seems more people are out and about, walking, shopping, or just going for a drive. Everything outside looks brighter, more colorful. I find myself checking the dormant buds on tree branches to see if they’ve noticed the sun is out.
The Bible compares the sun to God’s gracious gaze upon us. The ancient prayer of blessing says, “The Lord bless you and keep you; …the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26). These verses “happened” to be in my Bible reading for the day.
How our hearts are warmed when we realize how much God loves us! We are encouraged by His blessings, calmed by His peace. Isaiah 30:18 tells us that the Lord longs to be gracious to us, to show us compassion, and bring us justice. We feel energized by the brightness of His truth, as we seek to share the sunshine of His love with others.
“Let Your face shine on your servant; save me in Your unfailing love” (Psalm 31:16).