ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 31.

“ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE.”

By T.

How full of consolation and strong comfort are these words of the Lord: “I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved; therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope; because Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.” Acts 2:25–28. This scripture is the translation that Peter, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gives of a portion of the sixteenth psalm. He applies the words to Christ, and thus shows the plan by which the Master was able to overcome while He was clothed, as we are, with all the frailties of human flesh.

“I foresaw the Lord always before my face.” What a thought this is! The Lord always before the face. He is not kept before us a part of the time, merely, but He is before the face “always.” Herein is the secret of salvation’s power. We get our strength for victory by keeping the Lord before the mind’s eye every instant—always.

And observe the purpose for which He is always before us: “For He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.” The Lord is not there as a detective to catch us at something wrong so that He may punish us. No, indeed! He is there that we “should not be moved.” The Lord is watching over us to supply us with power to stand. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9. The Lord seeks to avert the wrong by inspiring us with His own presence to do the right.

What an inspiration! It should set in motion every faculty of our being to think of the great Creator, with all His mighty power and love, standing beside us that we should not be moved. When trials come, think of the One beside us! When temptations come, and we see no hope but to sink beneath them, think of the infinite power that is at our side. When great tasks tower before us, and we see no possible way to accomplish them, then look upon the worlds revolving through space, see the mighty forces that are operating in all nature, and turn to Him who is beside us and duly apologize that we should ever have become staggered by the magnitude of anything He has set before us to be done.

Let us keep seeing Him who is always before our face, and thus gain the indescribable experience of knowing that “He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.” T.