Psalm 34:5- “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”

Jesus takes pleasure in using the simplest things to teach us spiritual truths. Everything in nature has a deeper meaning, a higher purpose, and a divine role in pointing those who seek to the Ultimate Treasure. I stand amazed at how He uses the smallest aspects of Creation to communicate Truth to His children. Take sunflowers, for example. They begin everyday facing East, the direction of the sunrise. As the day progresses, the sunflowers follow the path of the sun until it sets in the evening. Day in and day out, they follow this pattern until they reach full maturity. Just as sunflowers follow the sun, knowing it as their source of life, so should we follow Jesus, the Son, until the day our faith becomes sight. Young children can wrap their minds around the simple illustration of the sunflower following the sun, yet it remains the one of the most daunting tasks to translate in our walk with Christ.

On a stormy night at around 3am, Jesus walked on water to join His disciples in the middle of the lake. The disciples feared it was a ghost, but Jesus reassured them saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” He called Peter to walk from the boat and join Him on the water. Peter began to walk to Jesus, but instead of focusing on his destination, he averted his gaze to the wind and waves. Much like us, Peter noticed the darkness around him instead of the Light before him.

Those who seek the LORD never leave unchanged. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai after forty days with God, his face was visibly radiant with light, “because He had spoken with the LORD.” In fact, no one would even come near him until he covered his face with a veil. (Exodus 34:29). Communion with the LORD radically changes a person and brings forth new life.

Jesus is Light and light brings life. We must, therefore, turn our weak and weary eyes to the radiance of the Son to receive anything good and eternally satisfying. He came, after all, that we “may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10). So let us “turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face” and rejoice as the “things of Earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen H. Lemmel)

In the morning when we rise, until the day ends, seek the Son, for those who seek Him find life. When we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the storm, as Peter did, we helplessly sink, but with our eyes fixed on Him, the darkness fades from the radiance of the Light.

Maybe we should all take a lesson from the sunflowers and turn our faces towards the Son.

Hebrews 12:2- “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.”