Radiantly Reflecting His Resplendence: Psalm 76-Supplication through the Scripture

Radiantly Reflecting His Resplendence

Psalm 76

Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God, in His goodness and kindness toward us, created a world we could see and touch, a world we could perceive with our senses. He did this, not only for our enjoyment, but so that through these things we could begin to understand the magnitude of His glory and get a taste of His beauty. The greatness of the sun in its splendor is one example of God’s creation that just begins to show us the “fringes of His ways” and is a “small whisper” of how great our God is (Job 26:14). 

Habakkuk, in his prayer, said of God, “His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power” (3:4 NASB). He uses a familiar object, the sunlight, and helps us to get a glimpse of the radiance of God. We cannot even look directly at the sun without the risk of damaging our eyes. To us, the sunlight is the most powerful, brilliant image Habakkuk could give us so that we could sense how magnificent our Lord is. 

Likewise, in today’s psalm, Psalm 76, the psalmist says to the Lord, “You are resplendent.” Resplendent means shining brilliantly; characterized by a glowing splendor (Mirriam-Webster). The NIV translates this verse as “radiant with light,” and I couldn’t help recalling what Psalm 34 says about God’s people when they call to Him in their distress, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (34:5). When we seek to behold Him and look to Him, we begin to reflect Him more and more. 

The author of Hebrews challenges us to run our spiritual race in this life with endurance, laying aside anything that might weigh us down including sin that can so easily entangle us. The way we run unencumbered is by “fixing our eyes on Jesus” and considering His endurance during His days here on earth (Hebrews 12:1-3). As we behold Him and His glory, we are transformed. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV). The primary place we can behold our Lord in His beauty is in the Word of God. So come often and gaze deeply into the Word of God so that you will be transformed by what you behold and you will “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). You will be radiant as you look to Him.

Oh, that we would be people who gleam “like stars that shine the brighter as the night deepens.” To have faces that are radiantly peaceful, radiantly hopeful, radiantly joyful because we are looking to Him. And because we are beholding Him,  the radiance of His glorious resplendence will be reflected in us. In our lives. In our faces. In our words. Perhaps right now, we are just a small shimmer, a very weak reflection, but may we be “like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day” (Proverbs 4:18).

Let’s pray through Psalm 76 to be people who shine radiantly with the light and life of Christ.

God is Known

76:1-3 God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. There He broke the flaming arrows, The shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 

Let’s pray:

▫️We would know the Lord, and He would shine forth from our lives.

▫️We would count all things loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord, that we would gain Him, and be found in Him, and thereby others would come to know Him through the testimony of our lives (Philippians 3:8-9). 

▫️We would reflect the Lord in this world.

▫️We would prove ourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach, and we would shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life (Philippians 2:15-16).

▫️Though we walk in the flesh, we would not war according to the flesh, and we would use the weapons of warfare, namely His Word and prayer, that are divinely powerful for the destruction of the fortresses in our lives and the lives of those we love (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). 

You are Resplendent

76:4-7 You are resplendent, More majestic than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted were plundered, They sank into sleep; And none of the warriors could use his hands. At Your rebuke, God of Jacob, Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep. You, You indeed are to be feared, And who may stand in Your presence, once You are angry? 

Let’s pray:

▫️We would give Him the glory due His name, and when we see the sunlight today it would remind us to marvel at His resplendence. 

▫️We would fear the Lord and be in reverential awe of who He is and that He would grant us the opportunity to be partakers of His glory and reflect His glory to those around us.

God Arose to Save the Humble

76:8-10 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth. Selah For the wrath of mankind shall praise You; You will encircle Yourself with a remnant of wrath. 

Let’s pray:

▫️As Christ entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly, we too would reflect that same trust in the things God has ordained for our lives.

▫️We would imitate Christ’s humility and be willing to put others’ needs ahead of our own. Our humility would say something about whom we serve.

He is Feared 

76:11-12 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; All who are around Him are to bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. He will cut off the spirit of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.

Let’s pray:

▫️We would strive to live in holiness, and our faces, words, and lives would be radiantly joyful, peaceful, and hopeful.

▫️We would live for His glory alone, and we would cheerfully give Him our obedience where and when He directs us. 

▫️Our lives would have such an impact on the world around us that the rulers of the world would come to fear the Lord.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture quoted from NASB 2020.

Photo credit to stereophototyp