And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron and his sons, this is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them, The Lord bless you and watch, guard and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually). ~Numbers 6:22-26 (AMPCE)
The bible teaches that Jesus' countenance was changed on the mountain as He was transfigured. Our countenance is the way we look, and it comes from our spirit man. To transfigure means to transform or revolutionize! If you have been born again the Lord says you have been transformed. The Lord’s countenance is shining on you but is it shining through you? Believers need to be concerned about their countenance. We have been blessed to receive God’s great countenance upon us and we are called to spread it everywhere we go. When the world looks at us, they need to see something about us that is different. They can't read our minds or see into our hearts, so our countenance is the only way we can show them that we have something they do not have but really want and need. That something is the Holy Spirit and His presence in our life will produce the kind of fruit that the lost and hurting are looking for. We are told in Galatians 5:22-23 “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (TLB) What God is describing in Galatians are the character traits of the Holy Spirit. The more time we spend with God, the more we will demonstrate these same traits because they are how the Holy Spirit influences us to act.
When you experience disappointment, or someone mistreats you, is your “knee-jerk” or intuitive reaction to love them? Be patient with them? How about to be kind and gentle? If these have not become our natural reaction, then we need to spend more time with the Lord and let Him change us from the inside out. God wants to teach us to operate counter-intuitive to what the world would expect so that we can be witnesses to His transforming power. We are told in Romans 13:14 “clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) Notice that scripture does not say God will clothe you with the Lord Jesus Christ. We clothe ourselves. We choose whether or not we are going to put on our robe of righteousness or if we are going to put on our prison suit and walk in bondage to the enemy and his negative influences. It takes self-control to act like the Lord and it takes courage to stand apart from the crowd, but it is ultimately our call. God wants His children to take upon themselves His character. What do you want people to see and experience when they encounter you? It’s a decision you need to make today and then act on it. Do you want them to see joy and peace or anger and frustration? People can spot whether we are operating in fear or faith from a mile away and they will always judge those who claim to be a Christian more harshly if we aren’t acting like one. We need to ask ourselves, "Would people know that I am a Christian by looking at my countenance most of the time?" Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit today and your countenance will shine as you walk with your heavenly Father.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ~Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
What is your natural reaction to adversity or disappointment?
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