Look to Him and Be Radiant

There is never a bad time to break down the Word of God. Often it can be intimidating, but it does not have to be! So, here is a little bit of advice for looks at some scripture and allowing it to speak to your heart.

The Lord has infinite wisdom, and how great is that? I’ll fill you in: infinitely great! What does this wisdom have to do with soaking up His Word? Everything. The beauty of the Word is that we believe that the Word is LIVING which means that words that were inspired long before we would read them can be meaningful when we read them today. Not to mention we could read the same words many days in a row and their significance can be different each time because God’s wisdom and the Spirit often allows for Scripture to hit us just when and how we need it. Can I get a “Glory be to God!” He is so good.

So, how does one go about finding this inspiration in the Bible? Well, that can go many ways. Some people gain much from the Old Testament, others the New Testament. In the Old Testament perhaps check the psalms, they are very topical and can often be just what we need to hear. In a similar way, Paul’s letters in the New Testament can often pierce us in such a way that makes us hungry for more of the Word that penetrates our hearts and calls us to great conversion. How wonderful!

Have you ever heard of Lectio Divina? Lectio Divina is a great way to encounter God’s Word. Read more about it here.

It’s a great way to break down the daunting task of encountering book after book, verse after verse.

For the remainder of this post, let’s jump into the Psalms, specifically Chapter 34! This is a beautiful reminder of our call to always give glory to God. It begins, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall always be in my mouth.” Already we are presented with an opportunity to examine our lives and ask ourselves fundamental questions for a life of faith like, “Are the things I say blessing the Lord or stressing the Lord?” Sounds silly, but is a great reminder that God has greatness prepared for it and it is easy to reject that greatness just in the way we speak.

Let’s jump to perhaps the most beautiful line in all the Psalms (what a claim)! Psalm 34:6 reads, “Look to him and be radiant, and your faces may not be for shame.” What do we think of when he hear the word “radiant”? Light, beaming, joyful, happy—perhaps? Those are words I think of. And just like that—one line of Scripture can say so much. Look to God and be joyful. Look to God and be happy. Pope St. John Paul II once said in a speech to young people, “It is Jesus in fact you seek when dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else satisfies you…”

We have a God that loves us and calls us to joy and sometimes we can forget that. Just remember that turning to him in prayer is always a great way to reignite your desire for more joy in your life and encountering him in the Scriptures is a great way to meet him any time, any place.

Love and Prayers