When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.
But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.
Exodus 34:29-35 (NLT)
CONSIDER
I’ve never been good at doing my makeup….or my hair. In fact, beauty skills have eluded me my whole life and I grew up never feeling fully “girlie”. When I would have a dance recital or as I got older, an aerial performance, I vividly remember being backstage getting ready and all the girls would come in with their large makeup cases full of foundation and false lashes, brightly colored shadows and glittered glosses and I would feel completely inadequate. I remember venturing out to buy myself a trendy case of my own and I filled it with all the goodies a girlie makeup case needed (and the salesgirl recommended!). Next performance, as I sat in front of the lighted mirrors, I proudly opened my metallic treasure box and dreamed of stepping onto the stage where I would no doubt stand out wearing my face that was sure to look like a Michelangelo masterpiece. But then I realized I had no clue how to apply this smorgasbord of face paints.
So back to the store I went. I sat down with the sales lady with the flawless face as she painted me up. She then proceeded to take a piece of paper with a diagram of a face and step-by-step colored that piece of paper with each of the items she used on me. Surely I would join the ranks of supermodel armed with my products and paint-by-number instructions. It was foolproof! But apparently not Cyndi-proof. Somehow I felt like I always looked like the 2-year old that had gotten into her mom’s makeup stash. Sigh.
Did you know on average, women will spend approximately $300,000 on makeup in their lifetime? Just as interesting, the average woman spends 29 minutes per day applying make-up in order to achieve a “natural look”. Wait, what? What if we spent that 29 minutes in the Word instead? Or that money on Kingdom pursuits – or at least a little of it.
While it’s okay to want to look nice, the Bible has some great advice when it comes to our appearance. And we as women would do well to not just read these verses, but take some time to let them really sink in.
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful.
1 Peter 3:3-5 (NLT)
With my makeup skills or lack thereof, this is a plan I can get behind and maybe even get good at.
We know that spending quiet time with the Lord is good for our soul & our spirit, but the Bible shows us over and over how time with the Lord can dramatically, and visibly, change our outward appearance as well. In multiple verses throughout the Bible, we see how others were able to visibly see a difference in those individuals or beings who spent time in the Lord’s presence. (2 Corinthians 3:7; Matthew 28:3, 17:2; Ezekiel 40:3; Revelation 10:1) And countless other verses give us insight as to the source of that radiant glow (Luke 2:9 – …the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them; Psalms 50:2 – …the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance; make your face shine down on us – Psalm 80: 3, 7, 19).
Just like with Moses in today’s verses, others can tell when we have been spending time with the Lord (and when we haven’t for that matter). Though they might not be able to put their finger on exactly what is different, they just know something is different. You have a “certain glow”. You remain calm under the pressures of work. You seem to have a gravitational pull that makes others want to be around you or share their worries and struggles with you.
While they may not know what the difference is, we do. And it can be summed up in one word – Jesus. As you pray in the Spirit you begin to fill with the unmistakable presence of God that emanates from within and shines for all the world to see. And as you read through the promises of God you get the confidence and reassurance that you are not alone and the worry lines begin to soften on your face. It’s like natural botox only better – it’s free and you can access it daily for a touch up anytime you want!
So next time you are craving a spa day for relaxation, restoration & a rejuvenating facial but don’t have $250 to spend on a spa package, just crack open the Word and get into God’s presence. You may just come out of your prayer room looking like a supermodel!!
PRAY:
Heavenly Father thank you for being the Master Aesthetician. Help us to turn to You and Your Word for the rejuvenation and replenishment our bodies and spirits crave. Remind us that nothing in the world will ever satisfy us or develop in us the qualities and characteristics that You can and will if we simply seek You with our whole hearts. Give us hearts that always seek more of You and a soul that longs to be near You. And when we finish our time with you, let us relish in the internal serenity and outward radiance that is evidence of time sent in Your presence.
In the precious name of our Lord & Savior,
Amen
Today’s post was written by Cyndi Staudt
Cyndi traveled a long & broken road that led to the heart of her Savior and is grateful God can use her tattered past in His story. God has placed in Cyndi a heart for sharing the love of Jesus both locally and globally and she has traveled to the Philippine’s (3 times), India (2 times), Thailand & Myanmar to let people in some of the most remote regions of the world know that God is Crazy about them. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing, performing & teaching aerial silks, hammock & hoop, traveling, writing devotionals, and date nights with her main (feline) man Harley. Most weekends you will find Cyndi enjoying Saturday night service at the Clermont Campus.
