Hammer on Anvil '

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD" (Exodus 34:29).

This passage of Scripture was highlighted in an Andrew Murray devotional that I read last week. It was about unbroken fellowship with God through prayer, and how people should be able to sense God's presence in us.

Moses, of course, didn't know his face was "ablaze with light" (International Standard Version) when he came down from the mountain. We, too, will be unaware that God's light is shining from us. But to others, it should be evident.

The question, then, is this: Does YOUR face glow with the presence of God? Or does your countenance reflect a sourness and negativity?

Recently my husband and I went into a Christian bookstore where we trade in books we no longer want, and sometimes purchase others. This particular time, we bought some great used DVDs for our granddaughters.

When we took our sacks of books to the man (I'll call him Bruce) who decides what they're worth, he was pitifully morose. But this is "normal" for him, unfortunately. He works in a Christian bookstore, and he exudes not joy but a spirit of sullen dissatisfaction. He hardly makes eye contact, and can be snippy and unpleasant. I was saddened last year when a friend of mine who is not yet a Christian went in there to look for a Bible. She said the staff there didn't seem to care if they helped her or not, and she turned around and walked out.

This particular visit, I was determined to make Bruce smile. I ducked into the restroom to pray. I asked God to help me view Bruce with compassion, and to put words in  my mouth that would put a smile on Bruce's face.

It took Bruce a while to sort through all our books, during which time we found our DVDs and some other books we wanted to purchase. When we were checking out, I joked with Bruce that he deliberately takes a long time so that we'll buy more of his merchandise. And he DID it! He smiled and even chuckled!

Friends, please don't profess to be followers of Jesus if your countenance says otherwise. How can we hope to attract non-believers and share the hope of the gospel with them if they see nothing attractive about us? I can count on one hand the number of people I know who genuinely exude the joy of the Lord. People are drawn to them like a moth to a flame, because they sense something extraordinary and are curious to find out what that "something" is.

So how do we GET this glowing exterior? It's simple, yet requires a great deal of discipline. It's called 24/7 communion with our Father. Murray explains it like this:

Close and continued prayer fellowship with God will in due time leave its mark and be evident to those around us. When the abiding presence of God's presence has become the aim of the morning hour, then with deep humility and in loving conversation with those around us, we will pass on into the day's duties with the continuity of unbroken fellowship. This continuance of the morning watch can be maintained by quiet self-restraint, by not giving the reins of our lives over to our natural impulses.

It is vital that we begin each day in His presence, brothers and sisters. Remember that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), and that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh and anew each morning, so you will be empowered to do whatever God asks of you. Pray for divine appointments, and opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with others. Take time to quiet yourself before God, and pray for your ears to be attuned to hear His voice throughout the day.