“Let the smile of your face shine on us, O Lord” Psalm 4:6.
People worry about getting old. Americans spend billions of dollars every year doing whatever it takes to look younger. We primp, pluck, nip and tuck in a futile attempt to avoid the inevitable.
I’m all for staying in shape and practicing healthy grooming, but the fact of the matter is, we’re all aging. Wrinkles, aches, pains, and cracks will come; it’s just a matter of time.
That being said, what we can continue to enhance is our childlike faith. No matter our physical age, our hearts and our confidence in God can always grow younger.
God delights over me as a father delights over his children! When he looks at me, he smiles. He doesn’t just see a broken body. He doesn’t see my sordid past or my imperfect present. He knows my weaknesses. He knows everything about me. But when he looks at me, he looks at me with the love and delight of a father.
The question is: When I look at him, what do I see? Do I see the delight in his eyes? Do I see the joy in his heart for me? Do I see through the eyes of a child?
- When I wonder about my future, do I know he will guide me?
- When I leap, do I believe he will catch me?
- When I cry out, do I know he will come to my aid?
- When I hurt, do I believe he will comfort me?
- When I fear, do I know he will protect me?
- When I falter, do I believe he will pick me up?
- When I lack, do I know he will provide for me?
- When I lose my way, do I believe he will find me?
- When I fail, do I know he will always love me no matter what?
I can’t do much about my rusting old shell of a body, but I can give my faith a facelift. Maybe I should focus more on my childlike hope and confidence in the one who is, and always will be, my heavenly Father. He is a father who would do anything for you and me because he is a father who loves us beyond our wildest imaginations.
What next?
Take a moment to answer the questions posed above. If you answer no to any, ask God for a heart makeover.
May I pray for you?
Lord, as we grow older, may our faith remain young and energetic. Let your smile shine on us, God, as we pursue you with childlike determination, believing your promises and desiring to please you above all else. Amen.
