Presence Of God

Living Every Day Before the Face of God

Consider this scene: the evening news broadcasts footage of a fugitive being arrested, hands bound, being led away as they hide their face from the camera. We may never know the details of their story, but we can understand why someone at this moment would shield themselves from public scrutiny. In a world where image is powerful, no one wants their darkest moments revealed. I believe we too, can identify with this impulse to hide, even if we haven’t committed a crime. Each of us carries missteps, failures, or hidden thoughts we wouldn’t want exposed to the eyes of others.


In Psalm 51, we encounter a man of courage and faith, who knows deeply what it means to be guilty and exposed. It is King David who has failed morally by famously falling into sin with Bathsheba. As he turns to God, he makes a plea that echoes the desire to hide: “Hide thy face from my sins” (Psalm 51:9). Here, David isn’t only fearful of human judgment but aware that he has wronged his heavenly Father. As he finds himself standing in the light of God’s perfect holiness, he feels the weight of his failure with an acute sense of guilt. David understands that, if God were to look upon him with anger, his life would unravel. In that moment, to face the gaze of God would mean destruction.


Yet, as much as David dreads the gaze of judgment, he also knows there is another way God looks upon us. He remembers that the same face which could look upon his sin also has the power to look upon him with mercy. David asks for forgiveness, hoping for God’s gaze to shift from wrath to grace. This reflects a central truth in the Bible: God’s gaze is not always one of judgment. In fact, it is in God’s nature to look upon us with love.


To live before the face of God is a concept captured by the Latin phrase “coram Deo” — in the presence of God, before the very face of God. For David, to live coram Deo means desiring to be looked upon by God, but only if that gaze is one of favor. To live before God’s face in this way is not to dread Him but to seek His presence. David longs for a gaze that offers mercy, favor, and peace.


This reality of living before God’s face becomes even more powerful when we consider Mary, the mother of Jesus. When God looks upon Mary with favor, choosing her to carry the Messiah, she bursts into a song of joy (Luke 1:46–55). For her, God’s gaze is not one of condemnation but of blessing. In this moment, Mary recognizes that to be seen by God is to be known and cherished.


In Numbers 6:22–27, God instructs the priests to bless the people with the words, “The Lord make his face shine upon thee.” To receive this blessing was to experience God’s kindness, to be enveloped in His loving favor. This is what it means to live coram Deo—to have God’s face shining upon us in grace, guiding us and grounding us each day.


Looking back at David again we see him pleading to not be cast out from God’s presence. His words in Psalm 51:11 show how unbearable that would be as he prays, “Cast me not away from thy presence;” He understands that to be outside of the Lord’s presence would be a place where there is no life, no joy, no hope.


So, to live every day before the face of God requires us to reckon with the reality of both His holiness and His grace. We are invited to confront our own failings, to repent sincerely, and then to experience the freedom and peace that comes from knowing we are forgiven. This is not a life of hiding or shame but one of openness and trust. When we live in God’s sight, we no longer need to fear the exposure of our faults because we are covered in grace. This kind of living becomes transformative, and it moves us to share the joy of God’s mercy with others.


We see this in David’s own transformation as he makes a promise to God in Psalm 51:13: “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” David understands that receiving God’s grace is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning of a new mission. Once forgiven, he feels compelled to share with others what he has learned about God’s ways, guiding them to experience the mercy that transformed his own heart.


This call to live before God’s face — fully seen, fully known, yet deeply loved — invites us to a life that honors Him in all things. Living coram Deo means every action, thought, and decision is influenced by our awareness of God’s presence. Whether we’re alone or in public, in moments of triumph or trial, we remember that God is with us, looking upon us with both truth and love.


The apostle Paul describes it this way in 1 Corinthians 13:12, where he writes, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Let this promise of seeing God fully one day inspire us to live every moment as an opportunity to draw nearer to Him.


In the end, I want to live with purpose, knowing that each day under His gaze is a gift — a chance to be transformed by His love, and to let that love shine through to the world. My prayer is that you too would live each day with the awareness that we are in His sight, held by His mercy, and called to share the joy of His presence with all who seek Him.


Credit: Ron Kelley