“For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
We have all been called to ministry. To come to the fullness of the stature of the measure of Christ. Therefore we have to look like Him. Our purpose is to look and be like Him for the world who do not know Him to see and want to know.
Face is synonymous with presence in the bible and God introduces Himself in creation coming face to face with darkness and dispelling it. He is compelled to speak; prophesies it into change.
Later in Genesis we notice that when man sinned he turned away from God’s face. It was not God turning away. God follows compelling us to turn back and be transformed.
The desires of God must again become the desires of our hearts and from that unity God’s will becomes ours and prayers transform.
When Moses encountered God face to face His words were if your face does not go with us who will distinguish us on the face of the earth.
“And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?””
The spirit of God again hovering over the face of the land has to be embraced the darkness to heal and transform the land and its people.
Jesus came to show us the face of God that we need to be transformed into.
God is not our problem solver but our transformer into Himself.
We may now be coming out a season of mourning for losses and things that seemed not to manifest and come to fulfilment but mourning is not linear but circular and we return to what we thought would not be again.
God gives us beauty from ashes
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”
God sees our naked vulnerability and gives us back our oil of joy. Knowing His presence we can get through whatever prevails.
What on the outside may look like death and failure is on the inside glory where we have been transformed to look like Him.
We praise Him face to face.
The illustration shows that which has died on the outside has new life on the inside. The spirit in all its fullness and in the image of Christ’s spectrum of light emanating to push back the darkness.
Three Scriptures that come to mind.
“For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10-11 ESV
“And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Exodus 33:15-16 ESV
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ESV
The song You’re Still God. Philippa Hanna
Lessisgreater 