How are you? How is your week going? Are you living in the countenance of God? Do you know and believe that you are fully approved by God in Christ?
Every single person on earth desires approval in some way or another. We all do. We may seek the approval of our parents, our spouses, our children, our friends, our peers, our bosses, or our coworkers. The list of people can go on and on.
We may try to find our approval and self-worth in different “measuring sticks.” That may be our perfect family, our prolific salaries, our near-perfect credit score, our successful work, our prestigious degrees, our unmatched eloquence, etc.
However, it will never be enough. Soon, we will be depressed, because we haven’t gained the satisfaction we wanted. We will be enslaved, because our insatiable hearts will try harder and harder to gain the approval that they desperately seek.
All of these places of approval are just futile replacements for the all-satisfying approval we need from God. They are just idols, and they will never give the satisfaction that only God can give.
But, here is the bad news. We don’t have that approval from God. We have sinned. We have rebelled. We have followed our own paths instead of following Him. Instead of God’s face shining upon us, His wrathful judgment is bearing over us.
So, what is our hope? It’s the person and work of Jesus Christ. He bore the wrathful judgment that was for us on the cross. He was forsaken on the cross so that we will never be. The Father turned His face away from Christ on the cross so that He may shine His face toward us. We can receive the countenance of God, because Christ received the condemnation of God on the cross.
Is this true for you? Do you believe it? Because if we truly believe that God’s countenance is upon us through Christ, no circumstance will be too great for us to handle. No pit will be too deep for God’s love. No hurt will be too painful for God to heal.
Live in the countenance of God today. Seek Him. Enjoy Him. Rest in His arms. Delight in His face that is shining upon you. And may it lead you to praise Him!
See you all on Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Tim
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