One of the beautiful Hebrew words for praise is Halal, meaning “to SHINE; to celebrate”. I always get the picture of a bride and groom entering the reception, faces absolutely glowing with joy.
To SHINE is to illuminate, to light up objects around it, to radiate outward. That’s us! We are made in His image as I Corinthians 3:16 states, “…we ourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in that temple.”
Jesus said of Himself, “I am the light of the world.” We actually house the eternal Light!
When we clothe ourselves with Halal praise, we don’t want to hide it. Matthew 5:15, “Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. It is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to ALL in the house…let your light SHINE before others…” In Exodus 24, the skin of Moses’ face SHONE, so that people were afraid to come near him. He’d been with God!
When my darling Gary was at UVA hospital for almost 6 months, one of his ICU nurses asked, “What is that light SHINING from his face?” What?! Yes, they saw the light of God, even though he was comatose and wordless. Amazing!
II Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light SHINE out of darkness,’ made His light SHINE in our hearts…”
The purpose of Halal praise is to SHINE Jesus, to reflect Him to a fallen world that distorts His image. We can’t SHINE if we’re tarnished or if transparency is lost. When God looks at us, we want Him to see Himself. We are like projectors. God’s message, loaded into us is activated by His light to SHINE His glory.
How to SHINE? Twinkle, glow, radiate, shimmer, gleam or illuminate. Just SHINE!
By: Vickie Richey
~Christ Fellowship