Good Morning All,
Genesis
32:30; “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen
God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
Have
you ever met someone who is famous face to face? Have you ever shook the hand of a US senator
or congressman? It usually leaves us a
little befuddled and confused. “I
thought he was taller” “He looks younger
on TV”. We usually come away with a
sense of awe and excitement. It can make
our day or even week somewhat more enjoyable.
In our verse, Jacob speaks of seeing God
face to face. That would be awe inspiring. It would leave us fearful, amazed and completely. How would you react? Would it be fearsome, awesome or something
else?
The reason Jacob is amazed is because only
those who were holy could see God and live and since no man was holy; well there
wasn’t much to discuss. Yet Jacob saw
God; how? Jacob saw God for one simple
reason because of God’s grace. God’s
love for Jacob allowed him to see God.
God’s love for us does the same.
We
get to see God. We see him through the
wondrous sacrifice that Jesus did for us.
We get to see God’s face in the Word in which we hear him speak those
tender words of mercy. We see God’s face
in the bread and the wine as our soul and faith are fed and nourished. But where we truly see God’s face is when we
look at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We see God face to face in the love and
compassion that we receive. They see God
face to face when we are loving and compassionate.
God is, by his nature, a loving God. He loves us and wants us to see it. He gives us his love; through the Word,
living, spoken and eaten. He shows us
his love by having others be his face, his hands and his beating heart. When we show compassion for people, they see
God face to face. When we share God’s
mercy and try to comfort those who are afflicted in some way, we show them God
face to face and it is an awesome event.
It is an awesome event because showing people God face to face brings
hope. When people see God face to face they
can have comfort and peace; a comfort and peace they receive by looking into
your face.
The God of all comfort uses us to provide
that face to face meeting. Martin Luther
called Christians the “masks of God”.
God is the real agent of love he just uses us to deliver that comfort,
that compassion. So, as we go about our
day; look for chances to show others God face to face. Share the love of Christ with them. Help them in need and want. Pray for them, comfort them, console them,
rejoice with them but give them God’s love as he has given to you.
Father
of mercy, we see you face to face because of your grace. Protect us by your power, comfort us with
your peace. Let us see you face to face
that we may have comfort in this life.
Give to us the peace that the world cannot give. Direct me to those who need to see your face.
In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s peace,
Pastor Bret
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