{"id":1859,"date":"2021-03-10T19:47:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T00:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/?p=1859"},"modified":"2022-09-13T17:55:22","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T21:55:22","slug":"how-to-obtain-a-healthy-glowing-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/devotional\/how-to-obtain-a-healthy-glowing-face\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Obtain a Healthy, Glowing Face"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to Obtain a Healthy, Glowing Face<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone wants a face that glows with health. The advertising industry\u2019s successful campaigning in cosmetology products is definite proof of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, the psalmist was concerned about His face also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Psalm 42 and in Psalm 43, we read that the psalmist David was going through some times of anxiety and frustration that can imprint one\u2019s brow and face with frown marks and wrinkles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, David\u2019s schooling in \u201ccosmetology\u201d had its foundation in God\u2019s Word and did not consist of makeup and chemicals. David understood the heart of the matter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man\u2019s face reflects his heart (Prov 27:19)
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance\u201d (Prov 15:13).<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In both these Psalms, David ends by making an important declaration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 42:11; Psalm 43:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul? 
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him,
The *help* of my countenance<\/strong> and my God.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The word \u201chelp\u201d is \u201cyeshua\u201d which is the Old Testament Hebrew word for salvation, but it can also be translated as deliverance, help, healing, health, and wellbeing. It is the root word for the Hebrew name, \u201cJoshua,\u201d which means \u201cYHWH (Jehovah) saves.\u201d In the New Testament Greek, \u201cJoshua\u201d is the name, \u201dJesus.\u201d Putting it all together perhaps can get a better idea of what Psalmist David is declaring: God is the HEALTH of my FACE. \u2026or\u2026  God is the SAVIOR of my SMILE. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Message Bible interprets Psalm 42:11 and Psalm 43:5
 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God\u2014 soon I\u2019ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face. He\u2019s my God. <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Not onlywas  David successful in getting a healthy countenance, but he also helped 400 men to achieve glowing faces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Psalms 34:3-5 (read 1 Samuel 21:10-15; 1 Sam 22:1-2)\nOh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.\nI sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.\nThey looked to Him and were RADIANT, and their faces were not ashamed.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Those men were discouraged, in debt, and embittered with life (1 Sam 22:1-2). But encouraged by David to seek the Lord together with him, and what was the result? Their faces are glowing! The Hebrew word for radiant literally means illuminated with beams of light!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a state of total depression, these miserable men were now transformed, filled with hope and faith! In fact, they were later known as some of David\u2019s \u201cmighty men\u201d (2 Sam 23:8-23)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is another man in the Bible that is known for having a truly radiant and glowing countenance:  Moses! As we look at Moses, we can learn a few more lessons in God’s cosmetology class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 34:29-30,35\nNow it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.\nSo when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him\u2026\nAnd whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This Scripture tells us that Moses\u2019 face was glowing so brightly that people could not bare to look directly at him (Exo 34:29-35; 2 Cor 3:7-13). Moses had to cover his face with a veil when he went out in public. Now that\u2019s taking the healthy glow to the extreme!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where did Moses get that kind of glow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, I believe I discovered Moses\u2019 secret for this facial miracle. No, it wasn\u2019t any holy mountain burning bush scrub brush. Nor was it some specially formulated cream from a Sinai miracle plant. Nope, it is much simpler and something each of us can achieve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(1) Selflessness Makes Our Face Glow!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
First of all, it is quite interesting to note that Moses\u2019 face did not glow the first time he came down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments. He did hear God speak and saw the \u201cFinger of God\u201d (Deu 9:9-10)<\/em> writing on the two tables of stone, but there was nothing unusual about his face at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moses\u2019 facial radiance had to do with another set of 40 days up on Mount Sinai. Down below, God\u2019s people were worshipping a golden calf and were breaking nearly all 10 commandments! Moses went down to see it and was furious, but he returned to God and made passionate intercessory prayer for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intercession in Hebrew means: \u201cto come between two people, to reach beyond, to entreat by importunity.\u201d Intercession involves putting one\u2019s self in the place of another. This is exactly what Jesus did when He took our place on the Cross:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors\u201d (Isaiah 53:12).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now, Jesus our High Priest, ever lives to make intercession for us that He might save us \u201cto the uttermost\u201d (Heb 7:25).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the Israelites had sinned, and God said that He planned on destroying the Israelites and starting all over again with Moses. Who wouldn\u2019t want that kind of honor, right? But being the humble servant of God that Moses was, he prayed and interceded for the Israelites with these words: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 32:32<\/em>
\u201cYet now, if You will forgive their sin\u2014but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This was true, sacrificial and selfless intercessory prayer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we are full of self, none of God\u2019s glory can ever reflect off of our spiritually contorted countenance. However, selflessness attracts God\u2019s glory as the moon attracts the brilliance of the sun. Perhaps this is why Jesus said that John the Baptist was a \u201cbright and shining lamp\u201d (John 5:35)<\/em>. John, too, was totally selfless. He summed up his whole life\u2019s purpose and end goal with these words:  \u201cHe [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease\u201d (John 3:30)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The glory of God also found perfect reflection, undistorted by self, in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. He, too, made selfless intercession:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romans 9:1-3<\/em>
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
That I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
What total selflessness and a heart full of compassion and love these men of God exhibited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, it turns out that selflessness is one of Moses\u2019 Mount Sinai beauty secrets for obtaining a healthy, glowing face. This involves denying ourselves, living for others, and also spending time in prayer with tears and intercession for souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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There is yet another observation we can make about Moses\u2019 Mount Sinai experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(2) Passion to Know God Makes Our Face Glow!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
God had told Moses that He would no longer travel with the Israelites in the journey to Canaan. He would send an angel instead. Moses pleads with God saying that an angel could never take the place of God\u2019s awesome presence dwelling with His people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 33:15,17
Then he said to Him, \u201cIf Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here...\u201d
So the Lord said to Moses, \u201cI will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Having his first request granted, Moses ventures ahead with the deepest passion of his heart. This is what he prayed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 33:18<\/em>
And he said, \u201cPlease, show me Your glory.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
God simply cannot turn down a request like this from His dear children! In the next chapter, God hides Moses in a cleft of the mountain rock and covers him there with His hand. He passes by Moses, removes His hand and then allows Moses to catch a tiny glimpse of His glory. It was in this wonderful moment that God revealed some of His divine character to Moses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 34:6-7
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, \u201cThe Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Moses\u2019 immediate response to this new revelation of God\u2019s character was to quickly fall on his face and worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This new revelation that God permitted Moses to experience on Mount Sinai certainly was not wasted! Later on, we see Moses uses this revelation of God\u2019s character while making intercession again for the Israelites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Numbers 14:17-20\nAnd now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, JUST AS YOU HAVE SPOKEN, saying,\nThe Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.\u2019\nPardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.\"\nThen the Lord said: \u201cI have pardoned, according to your word.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Do you want a healthy glowing countenance?  As we have seen, Moses\u2019 two \u201cMount Sinai Beauty Secrets\u201d are: (1)<\/strong> selfless and sacrificial living for others which includes intercessory prayer; and (2)<\/strong> the priceless, quality time of hungering passionately for God Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is far better than any facial or cosmetic makeover! Try these \u201cproducts\u201d out today! {There may even be a half-price special taking place soon!}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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