The Look

I remember when I was a kid there were certain activities that just seemed like a lot of fun. Activities like playing football in the house, giving my dad a haircut while he wasn't paying attention, and giving my brother a swirly. And they were fun right up until I got "the look" from one of my parents. You know "the look"...we have all received "the look" from a parent, or a spouse. "The look" tells you that whatever you have just said or done that in the moment seemed like a brilliant, entertaining idea is not really as brilliant or entertaining as it was in your mind.

As we read through the scriptures we find that when people come face to face with God they encounter the divine version of "the look." When the prophet Isaiah, who was a very righteous man, encountered God in the Temple he cried out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6:6)

When Paul came face to face with Jesus on the road to Damascus the only thing that he could think to do was fall to the ground and hide his face so as to avoid making direct eye contact with him. (Acts 9:3-4)

When the Lord spoke to Job and his friends they realized that they did not know as much about God as they thought they did. (Job 38-41)

When Moses encountered God in the burning bush at first he was intrigued, but when he realized that he was in the presence of God the Bible says, "Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God." (Ex. 3:6)

When these men encountered a Holy God it highlighted the sin, mistakes, and shortcomings in their own lives. In other words they had received "the look." They experienced that moment where they realized that there were things in their lives that needed to change. They realized that certain thoughts, attitudes, or actions that are acceptable from a human perspective were not acceptable to God. As frightening or as painful as that might be I pray that we may all have that same experience. That we might have a moment of clarity where we come face to face with God and he reveals the areas in our lives that need to change. Going through the cleansing/refining process is never fun at the time. I don't think that I would ever choose to go through it, but each time I do I am always grateful for the changes God brings about. And then I wonder...why didn't I make this change sooner?

Ben Gores
High School Ministry Director