Radiant & Ruddy

As we each step into our kingdom calling, the word of God will spread and He will be glorified. In serving God, He will make our faces shines as we get our hands dirty to serve those in need.

“They brought the ark of God…He appointed some…to extol, thank, and praise the Lord…David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise…Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done…Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols…strength and joy are in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:1-41

David realized very quickly that for God to be properly praised, each person had a part to play. So he assigned different duties so that each person could declare how God had been good to them. Some sang, some spoke, some played music, some served. All gave God glory.

The kingdom of God is a community of believers that expands as each person discovers their God-given gifts. Each of us has ways in which we can worship our Holy God. Each has work to do and is made to do God’s will. What were you made to do? Where do you feel energized when you are working or passionate in how you praise? What are your strengths and gifts?

Do you love what you do each day? So many people settle for less than the best that God has for them for reasons that are not holy. We continue in dead-end jobs or can’t wait until the weekend because we do jobs we do not love. Life is too short for that type of living. You were made to whistle while you work and worship God every day by using your gifts to glorify Him.

God said you are uniquely and wonderfully made. You do not need to be like anyone else. Many people struggle with a lack of meaning in life because they are not living to glorify God. If you want to find meaning in your life, use your gifts to meet a need in the world. Take what you are naturally good at and go in the name of Jesus to give the best of yourself so that God would be glorified.

“Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good. You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.” Psalms 54:2-7

An interesting thing happens in life. You will experience both pleasure and times of pain. Life is not an endless cycle of ease. In this psalm David is processing his pain. Can you approach each day with a heart that stays faithful to your calling regardless of what you face? Can you raise a hallelujah through the hardest times?

David loved to sing, and his songs reflect the cycles and seasons of life. He prays to God for help because he needs help. He prays that God will sustain him because he needs strength. He praises that God will deliver him because he has enemies who are working against him.

David shared an insight that helped him be steadfast through the hills and valleys. He looked at life in triumph. He walked with expectation. He believed that God plus himself was a majority and more than enough. Do you? Do you understand what it means to walk in victory and look in triumph?

Many people have a hard time singing because they are looking at life with defeated eyes. They are waiting for the other shoe to drop and wondering if everything will fall apart. They allow the voice of the enemy and fear to override God’s. Ask yourself how you are approaching this day. Are you working for God and eager to worship, expecting to see signs that God is moving on your behalf? Or are you afraid of what is to come?

“I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak…How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? My beloved is radiant and ruddy…His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.” Song of Songs 5:6-16

If you watch Disney movies, you watch with an expectation of a happy ending. The problem is life is not often like a Disney movie. You can walk with eyes that see triumphantly, but that does not mean that you will not take your fair share of beatings. The bride was looking for the bridegroom and got bruised by how others treated her.

The thing that can keep us moving through setbacks and heartache is knowing you are loved and that there is a love more powerful than death: the love of Jesus. The bride is asked to describe how her love is better. She said he is radiant and ruddy, speaks sweetly, and is lovely.

Is that not a perfect description for Jesus? Jesus is the one who shines His light with every step He takes, yet is not afraid to get ruddy when washing our feet. His words of grace are sweet to our ears and refreshing to our souls. This love brings healing to our lives and is meant to be shared. Who do you know that needs Jesus? Will you tell them about Him?

“Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king…Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord…the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not!…Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?” “Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.” King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.” Jeremiah 37:1-21

How would you respond to being thrown in prison just for speaking a message from God? Many of us can have our day derailed if we are cut off in traffic or our coffee order gets confused. Imagine how you would feel if you were thrown in prison for playing your part. Would you continue to be faithful to your calling? Or would you want to make a career change?

Jeremiah trusted in God. He never let how he felt about being in a dungeon stop him from doing his duty. He did not let his circumstances keep him from doing God’s will. In time, an opportunity came, and he shared the truth with the king. It was the same message as before, but this time God helped move him to a courtyard and gave him his daily bread.

What we learn from these passages is that there are many ways to serve God. Some people were worship leaders, others everyday workers, and some had to go through the dungeon to get to their Disney moment. The question is whether we will remain faithful in following.

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food….It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables…choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom…So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith…Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people…They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” Acts 6:1-15

When David gave instructions in Chronicles, he said to seek God always. Peter said to always be prepared to share the reason you have hope. There is both an individual responsibility to do the best with what God has given you and a community component to following Jesus, where we spread the good news.

We see that the church grew not because everyone got along perfectly, but as each person faithfully worked for God. Some served food, some prayed and preached, and some simply helped with everyday needs. The key was letting the Spirit lead and empower each person to do what they were made to do.

Issues and division arose when people started to compare themselves with others and when they kept more for themselves than they needed. A scarcity mindset and fear will disrupt God’s love flowing through God’s people. Have you allowed any worries about scarcity or circumstances to keep you from singing God’s praises and serving where you are needed?

How can you keep shining the light of Christ each day? David said remember. Remember all Jesus has done and trust He will do what is needed. Do not let comparison, fear, disappointment, selfishness, or scarcity keep you from glorifying God by how you live.

The chapter closes with a beautiful connection between the radiant face of Stephen and the beloved in Song of Songs. Do you want to shine? Can others see the love of God on your face? Will they wonder why you are so joyful? Both Stephen and the bridegroom radiated love. We can do the same. We can shine as we keep our eyes on Jesus and continually seek His face. Jesus said to let your light shine so that God would be glorified. He was saying the same thing as David, who said to let what you do lead others to praise God. The way you sing may be different from someone else, but your life is meant to be a song of praise to your Savior.