Pure Radiance

“Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” 
- Psalm 34:5 (ESV‬‬) 

Fun fact: I bought these flowers for myself – my favorite flowers – to celebrate the goodness of God and my healing process. I never had mini bouquets before, and when I arrived home, I quickly grabbed the first vase from the pantry that would fit the flowers well. I never used this vase before and thought nothing of it. The excitement to display my mini bouquets outweighed any and all details.

As I carried the bouquet from the window to the table later that day, I noticed something on the vase. Etched into the bottom of the glass was the phrase “pure radiance.”

I immediately paused, stunned at the phrase I had just discovered. At the start of 2022, God gave me the word “radiant,” based on Psalm 34:5. The psalmist proclaims, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” (ESV) When I consider and reflect on how this year has gone so far, I realize how God has carried me. I could have been wallowing in the hurt. I could have continued scavenging for bread crumbs of information that never would have helped me heal. But instead I’m rejoicing because I’ve looked to the Lord and He has given me a renewed strength and an abounding hope. He has been my clarity and my joy.

If we want to our lives to be pure radiance and nothing else, we must look to the Lord as our Source of life.

How profound…the exact flowers I got to remind myself of God’s faithfulness were held in a vase that was marked with the same message. It’s little reminders like this that show God is in every detail…all the way down to the vase I thoughtlessly grabbed from the cabinet. It had to be my favorite flowers in that specific vase. God was giving me a glimpse at how much He loves and cares for me. How He is my first love. How He sees the details. How He was, and is, always there.

God knows what our hearts need. And when we seek Him, we will be satisfied.