Daily Word of Grace # 115 (August 24, 2020)
Many years ago my family and I moved from Wyoming to South Carolina. Steph and our young children flew east and I drove all our possessions in a Ryder truck, towing our 1989 Honda Accord. As I drove east across Kansas on Interstate 70, I passed many vast fields of sunflowers. As you probably know, young sunflowers face the sun all day long, even on cloudy or rainy days. They face east at the rising sun, throughout the day turn in the direction of the sun all the way till facing west at sundown. During the night they shift east again in anticipation of the rising sun. This phenomenon is called heliotropism. Often older sunflowers stop turning toward the sun all day and instead simply face east, always in anticipation of the rising sun. In scripture we often read about the face of the Lord being turned towards us, shining on us—“the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25)—and again in the psalmist’s prayer, “Let your face shine, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:3). In Jesus Christ the face of God shines on you even now (2 Corinthians 4:6) which means not only is the Lord gracious to you, but also that indeed you will be saved. No matter what is going on in your life, the Lord’s face continues to be turned toward you, continues to shine on you—even on cloudy or rainy days.
Love and Prayers,
Dave