“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:4-5
The pursuit of the Lord always brings great reward. Study, and meditation in His Word, brings light and life to the hearer, and the doer of the WORD. To seek the Lord is about intentionally turning our attention to God, to petition Him for wisdom, and to listen attentively to hear what the Spirit of God speaks to us.
It is the humble soul that looks to Jesus, knowing there is no other help, no other one who cares for them and has proven His love for them in that while they were yet sinners, He died for them. The humble soul also does not come to Him expecting to deal or negotiate, or stealthily outwit Him, or force His hand on their terms.
The humble comes with a surrendered heart and no other agenda than to be yielded completely to His will, to be healed, to be delivered, to be saved, and to be transformed by His Spirit; to deny himself and to live solely in and for Him.
“They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”Psalm 34: 5-7
Two key phrases in this passage.
“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me…” and
“They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed...”
First, “They looked to Him” is not to suggest that they looked with their physical eyes at the Lord. They looked to Him in the way we would say “Look to so and so for such and such.” It is an idiomatic expressing meaning they sought the Lord, for understanding, for guidance, for wisdom, for instruction in how to live, in ways that please Him. They placed their hope and expectation in Him as their provider an Sustainer of life.
When we seek the Lord, and those around us know that we are submitted to Him, and that we earnestly desire to be like Him in all our ways, they hear about what God is doing in our lives, and they are glad for us and encouraged in their faith. But not all who hear are encouraged or glad for us. Only the humble shall hear and be glad.
In their humbleness they also look to the Lord, and in seeking Him, and trusting in Him, and worshiping Him, their faces are transformed to shine with the radiance of His glory. To say their faces shine is to express the effect of coming into the presence of the glory of God, and the light of HIs glory is transferred to them as they behold His nature, His character, His glory that radiates as light. The Light of His glory is imparted to them from The Light that shines in the face of Jesus Christ. Just as Moses’ face shined with the light of God’s glory after He was with Him on the mountain. [Exodus 34:29-35]
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
Their prayers and faith in Him are not disappointed or in vain. They are not ashamed. They do not reckon themselves inferior or inadequate. They look to Him with confidence and assurance of His goodness toward them. Their humbleness is not humiliation. It is joyful submission to His Holiness with respect for His just power and authority over them. They are drawn to Him because they have seen in the King, His love and compassion for them.
As the king sought the Lord and HE heard him, so too, the humble hear of God’s favor to the king and they rejoice in the Lord with Him. And like the king they too begin to bless the Lord at all times and let His praise be continually in their mouth.
What would our conversation be like if the praise of God was continually in our mouths?”