God is Smiling

 Numbers 6:26 “The LORD said to Moses… ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

“the LORD turn his face toward you

     and give you peace.”’

 Think of a quarrel, perhaps even a fight, you had with someone you love. Someone who loves you too.

 One way to express anger is to turn away your face from each other. “I can’t even stand to look at you when you are like this!”

 Then one of you decides that the love you have for the other one is stronger than your anger. That person turns their face back toward you. What is the expression on their face when they turn their face back toward you? The beginning of a smile, perhaps moistened with tears? A look that says, “I forgive you. We are made to be together.”

 “Peace” happens when God turns back toward us, not with anger, but with love, having intentionally forgotten that which we did to cause God to turn away from us.

 How can you know the peace, the shalom, with which God desires to bless you? Turn back to God and see God’s face turned toward you. God is smiling.