A Bright Outlook

Those who look to [the Lord] for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

Psalm 34:5

WE’VE ALL SEEN the photos of those apprehended for trial in the midst of a crowd of police and media, whether accused murderers or Wall Street moguls. They are trying to shield their faces from the glare of the cameras. Some may be innocent of the charges and are merely attempting to escape notoriety, but the guilty are covered in shame. Not so for those who look to the Lord.

When we as believers look into ourselves and see our guilt of many offenses, we, too, want to hide, to cover up our sins and put on a cloak of deception to conceal our wrongdoing. But when we look up and out of ourselves and seek God’s forgiveness, love, and grace, his glory shines down upon us, and we, in turn, radiate his love to others. The apostle John tells us that when we walk in the light (of his presence), the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

So if you have sinned, don’t run away or try to cover it up. Look directly into the light of the Lord’s glory and feel his healing burn away the filth and darkness of sin and replace it with the purity of his own righteousness. Although we are sinners like murderers and the embezzlers on Wall Street, we have one advantage: if we are redeemed by Jesus Christ, he has brought those sins into the radiance of his glory and wiped them away forever. That is a cause for radiant joy!