January 15

may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; — Num 6:25 BSB

This passage brings to mind the image of the sun. Just as the natural sun sometimes does not rise, leaving the world in darkness, so it is for many souls who have not yet seen the Day-star or the Sun of Righteousness rise upon them with healing in His wings. It will remain dark for them until that Sun rises.

At other times, though the sun has risen, thick clouds may obscure its face throughout the day, preventing even a single ray from shining through. This is often the experience of the Lord’s people, who, even after the Sun has risen in their spiritual life, may pass much of their time in darkness, until perhaps, at the end of their life, a departing ray brings light to their dying moments.

Yet, there are also days when misty clouds rapidly move across the sky, occasionally allowing glimpses of the sun. Isn’t this an image of how the Sun of Righteousness is often obscured by the doubts and fears that arise from our unbelieving hearts, like fogs that block our view of His radiant face?

Still, there are moments when the Lord blesses the soul with a sweet manifestation of His presence, shining through the clouds. These moments don’t last, for the clouds gather again. The Christian life is not one long, bright summer day. We live in a spiritual climate where the skies are often clouded, where our inward experience is like the cold north.

“The Lord make His face shine upon you.” This reminds us of God’s sovereignty. We cannot remove the clouds ourselves any more than we can sweep away a London fog with our hand. This shows us our true place—that we are nothing, and God is everything. How blessed it is to see the Father’s face shining upon us! And if He causes His face to shine upon you, your face will shine as well, just as Moses’ face shone when he came down from the mountain after communing with God. When the Lord makes His face shine upon you, the glory of God will be reflected in your life as you move among His people.