"Mom, Be My Fwend"

[Betsy]

1."A prayer by someone who is suffering, when he is weary and pours
out his troubles in the LORD's presence. O LORD, hear my prayer, and
let my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble. Turn your ear
toward me. Answer me quickly when I call." Psalm 102:1-2

When I lay down at night to put my 2 year old to sleep, the lights are
out and there is only a tiny bit of light that sneaks through the
window shades to keep us from absolute darkness. Sometimes it takes
awhile for her to go to sleep (I enjoy this time though) and to be
comfortable, I turn and lay on my side with my face away from her.
Almost every time I do, she says insistently "Mom, be my fwend!" I
don't know how she put these things together, but when my face is not
turned toward her, she feels like I am not "Being her friend."

It is like that with us and God. There are so many scriptures that
talk about the Lord turning His face toward us, or shining His face on
us. It is never a good thing when God turns away. It is the ultimate
rejection. He had to turn His back on His own Son Jesus, while He bore
our sin on the cross. He could not look at sin, and since Jesus was
bearing it, He rejected Him as well for that time. Because of this, we
can enjoy the face of God turned towards us and shining on us.

Psalm 80:3 says "Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that
we may be saved."

I am so thankful that Jesus bore that rejection that I deserved, so
that God's face can shine on me as He sees the righteousness of Christ
that covers me, when He looks at me.

Do: Reflect the image of God by allowing His face to shine on others
through me.
Know: God's face shines on me because of the price that Jesus paid.
Stop: Don't forget the majesty of the this gift, and enjoy the Creator
of the universe shining His face on me!