FACE TO FACE

When Isabelle was 2 years old, she would come up to me and call me until she got my attention.  Sometimes even after she had.

Once I directed my attention to her, she said, "Uuuuuhhhhmmmmm," and gazed thoughtfully.  She almost never had anything she wanted to say to me, she just wanted my complete attention.

It makes me think of Gabriel when he wants my attention.  When I'm holding him, he leans way forward and turns his face to look right in my face.  Garrett used to grab my face and turn it to his.

I do this with God.  Just ask Him for His direct attention and be aware of it myself.  But only if I did it more, how beneficial it would be.

More intimate.  More connected.  More awareness.

"The LORD make His face shine upon You," (Num. 6:25) was how Aaron, the priest, was commanded to bless the Israelites, and a Psalm of blessing (Ps. 67:1).

I often avoid intimacy with God in a covert way by talking at Him, instead of being with Him.  I think because I'm talking to Him I'm focusing on Him, but I'm really not.  It's a indirect way of focusing on my agenda and/or problems.  Usually when I do this, I have unaddressed sin or attitudes or self-sufficiency that I don't want to look at.

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Is. 59:2)

God is unchanging.

He is not the one who turns His face from us, we turn ours from Him.

When we do, we are in our own will, our sin nature, and are not asking for the things that will be good for us.  That's why He doesn't hear.

It's like when the kids are tired and throw a fit over something they know they aren't allowed to do or have anyway.  I just ignore it, because they obviously are not in their best state of mind.

So, let's go back to that intimacy with God.

Imagine God's face always towards ours.

If we turn our face from our own way, will, agenda and unbelief, we would be nose to nose with everything we ever wanted.

We would see that He had been looking intently, lovingly, all along.

I really think it would change everything.

MEDITATE ON IT 

What does looking in God's face mean, or look like, to you?

What blessings would you receive from looking into the face of God?

What is usually responsible for distracting you from Him?  Is there a particular area of temptation, self-will or unbelief?

PRAY ABOUT IT

Father, You love us so much and we miss it because we don't even look at You to see it.  Turn our face to You.  Help us identify and remove anything and everything that gets in the way of our relationship with You.  Overcome in us the things that distract us from You.  Forgive us when we look away.  Bless us so abundantly when we turn to You that we will never want to look away.  Thank You for Your patience with us.  Thank You that You never tire of waiting on us.  Your mercies truly are new every morning.  Help us not give up on ourselves.

LIVE IN IT

"As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;  I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." (Psalm 17:15)

"And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." (Revelation 22:3-4)

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)