Psalm 34:5 “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”

Consider this: Notice the change of pronouns. In verse 4, David speaks of himself in a very personal way. In verse 5 he refers to other people who were encouraged by God’s work in David’s life. When God delivered David from his fears, people were watching. The impact of seeing what God did was so encouraging to them that it literally changed their countenance. They were radiant!

When I was a very young boy I was fidgeting in church one day and my Dad said, “Let me draw you a picture.” I said, “Draw me a truck!” He began to draw lines on a piece of paper and I stood on the pew seat looking over his shoulder. He drew circles that looked 3D. The circles became the wheels. With every stroke of his pen, something new appeared. The windshield…the door…the fender…the cab…and soon an 18-wheeler appeared. When I saw the blank paper turn into a Big Rig, my face beamed. It glowed with excitement. “That’s my Dad – he can do anything,” I thought. My face was radiant. I was not disappointed.

When I read sections in the Bible, such as Hebrews 11, and I recall the fabulous stories of men and women who had faith in God and I think about how God worked in amazing ways in their lives, my countenance changes. My face becomes radiant and I feel like shouting from the rooftop, “That’s my Father – He can do anything!” I can never be ashamed because He does not disappoint me.

The humble ones (verse 2) were watching what God would do for David. Someone has said, “You’d be surprised who’s watching your journey and being inspired by it.” When they saw the Lord deliver David from his fears they were emboldened to look to the Lord to do the same for them – and they were not disappointed.

I have precious memories of the radiant faces of people at the moment they trust Jesus Christ as their Savior – sometimes through tears of joy! And that joy should be the trademark of every believer especially as the Lord continues to work in amazing ways in our lives.

Psalm 34:5 “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”