Shine Upon Me, God!

Psalm 31:16 says this, “Let Your favor shine on Your servant.  In Your unfailing love, rescue me.”  (NLT).  The Passion Translation says it like this, “Smile on me, Your servant.  Let Your undying love and glorious grace save me from all my gloom.”

David knew something about suffering.  His hardship included physical pain and mental illness.  They were severe in nature, and they were very injurious to his health.

And the Lord in His kindness, allowed David to feel the weight of his own depravity that aroused from a consciousness of sin guilt.  He allowed him to experience a measure of discomfort from his own poor choices and from the mistreatment of other people.

However, we can live impressed by one major theme in the life of David and that was his confidence in God.

David knew that acceptance, favor, protection, and salvation resides in the face of our Lord.

Three times in Psalm 80 we see this one request, “Turn us again to Yourself, O God.  Make Your face shine down upon us.  Only then will we be saved.”  (verses 3, 7, and 19)

Three times they begged Him to turn them toward Him and to show them His radiant beauty that was, alone, their saving grace.

Take a look at verse 2.  There are three names mentioned here: Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.  These were three individuals who served just behind the Ark of Glory being transferred from one place to another (Ark of the Glory was where God’s presence rested).  They became known as the representatives of everyone who followed after the glory of the Lord… the first ones to have His glory shine down… the chosen ones who benefited the greatest from His brilliant light.

And everything changes when we see the meanings of each of these appointed vessels:
Ephraim means, “doubly fruitful.”
Benjamin means, “son of my right hand.”
Manasseh means, “you made me forget.”

So then could it be that it is the ones who follow closely after The Glory are the ones who will be doubly fruitful, sons of God’s right hand, and who forget their previous life and prior ways into a fully surrendered life?

Ahh… yes.

I become fruitful when I seek the Face of God.
In the Face I am accepted, favored, protected, and rescued.

And so stepping into the new year we can choose to position ourselves directly behind the Ark of Glory and step into the fruitful life of intimacy He desires for us.

Oh friends… He’s such a good, good Father!