Those who look to him are radiant,
Psalms 34:5 (NIV)
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Those who keep their gaze on the Lord will find that their lives will shine with the Lord’s radiance. In other words, we reflect God’s beautiful light when we keep our focus on him. This is a privilege that he gives to his people.
We find a vivid illustration of this gift in the life of Moses. When he went up on Mt. Sinai and beheld the Lord, his face began to shine so much that when he came back down the people were afraid of the radiance (Exodus 34:30) so he ended up putting a veil over his face. 2 Corinthians 3:18 draws on this story and explains that believers “with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (ESV). Thus, even in this age the glory of the Lord grows in us as we keep our hearts fixed on him.
This radiance that God gives to us as we contemplate him leaves no room for shame, embarassment or self-rejection. “Our faces shall not be ashamed.” Knowing that he loves us and values us and gives us his radiance we are at peace with ourselves and at peace before all those around us. Regardless of what people say or what happens to us, our honor before God has already been established. We will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father forever (Matt. 13:43).
