Do You Know His Countenance?

Wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, murders, kidnappings, tornadoes, both natural disasters and the acts of  natural man draw my mind to fear.

Psalm 4:4 "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah"

Praying for the countenance of Jehovah to be upon me quiets my fears. They are replaced with a peace that cannot be understood or explained. I know he is in control and will not allow anything to happen to me that is not part of his divine plan. 

Psalm 4:5-6 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us."

Having God's countenance upon you is a way of speaking about being in God's presence. Until rapture or death being in the presence of God is not possible without the WORD of God. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and he uses his word to speak peace to the soul. If you spend too much time reading after others and not reading and memorizing his word you will be filled with fleshly advice and opinions that the Holy Spirit will not use. You may be able to calm yourself for a moment, but the peace will be short lived and not from God.

For nearly half my life I struggled with getting a good night's sleep. It seemed as soon as the lights went out my mind would wonder into all it's dark corners and closets. I would toss and turn most of the night visualizing all the bad events of the day. Even if my day was good, I would pick out an event I heard had happened to someone else and hit the instant replay button.

I decided one night to pray Psalm 4 before going to bed.

Psalm 4:7-8 "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."

God's countenance began to be with me. My sleep was not as restless!

Psalm 21:6 "For thou hast made him most blessed for ever; thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

God's countenance brings peace.

Numbers 6:25-26 "The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

God's countenance brings blessing.

Psalm 89:15 "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance."

The joyful sound mentioned in this verse is the sound of the music and noise that the Jews experienced at their feast. The Jews learned from God in the Old Testament how to worship and celebrate him with the feast. To be as blessed, we Christians are to learn how to worship and celebrate him through his word.

Do you want victory in your Christian life? Do you want victory over your fears? God's countenance will shine upon you when you look into his WORD. Put down the fake swords of self reliances and opinions of men and pick up the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, the Bible. Read it, study it, memorize it and pray it.

Psalm 44:3 "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them."

If you know Jesus as Savior you can have peace and be blessed by the countenance of God. But, if you do not know him the countenance of God will bring judgement and conviction of sin. Do you know his countenance?