A Hard Face
Proverbs 21:29
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
KJV
I am sure that we have all said or at least heard said that guy or that woman sure has a hard look. Not a
mean look but a hard look. There is in their face the absence of kindness, gentleness, or compassion. All
that is seen in that face is the lines left by the hard look that is ever there.
There are two reasons for a hard face. The absence of God's love that is shed abroad in our heart by
the Holy Ghost, leaving only the bitterness and hatred of a heart absent of the love of God. Then the
second reason is the heart is filled with sin and has never known the grace of God.
There is a story told about the painting of the Lord's Supper by Divinci. The artist looked and searched
diligently for a man who's face in someway could portray the love of God through the face of Jesus. He
found that man and painted the picture of Jesus in the Lord's Supper. And thus became his pattern of
search for a man to set for the painting of the portrait of each disciple for their image to be painted. Then
there was only one left and that was Judas Iscariot. The artist searched everywhere and finally turned to
search in the prisons to search for a man whose face could portray the wretchedness of sin in the face of
Judas who would betray Jesus. He needed a man with a hard face. And finally on death row in one of the
prison’s he found this man and the man agreed to set for the painting of Judas. When Divinci turned to
leave the man said you do not remember me do you? The artist said no. The hard faced criminal said
some years ago I was the man who sat for you to paint the image of Christ.
Quite a story isn't it. Yet it is true in so many of the hard faced people we meet. Their face is that way
because their heart has been distorted by sin as was this man. One time that was me and maybe one
time that was you. And now it is someone were looking at. The same person that changed our hard face
will change theirs. Jesus
In Psalms 42:5 David says he will praise the Lord for the way he looks at me. Through mercy and love.
David could have been a hard faced man. He began as a shepherd boy but became a soldier who killed
his thousands. And then a king who had a man murdered so he could have that mans wife who he had
already gotten pregnant. David could have had a hard face. He was no longer a gentle shepherd boy.
Then David makes this beautiful confession.
Psalms 42:11
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I
shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
KJV
The Lord is the health of my countenance or the Lord is the reason I do not have a sin hardened face.
And then he repeats it again
Psalms 43:5
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet
praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
KJV
I think he wants to reiterate the only reason his soul has hope and is not cast down is because God is his
only reason for not ending up hard hearted by sin and walking around with a hard face, God hath been
his hope and his help.
If you have a hard heart resulting from sin and it shows in a hard face. Don't stay that way, ask God to
save you in Jesus name and change your heart and face and he will.
And the next time some of you saints see a hard faced person, you will know their problem. Introduce
them to Jesus and get their heart and face softened.