To See Your Face Is Like Seeing the Face of God
I love the song “Mary, Did You Know?” There’s a line that has always made me pause and reflect deeply. It says, “Mary, did you know that when you kissed your baby boy, you kissed the face of God?”
What a profound question — and the answer is yes. She did.
But have you ever stopped to wonder what it must have been like for Mary, Joseph, and even Jesus’ siblings as He grew? Did they become so familiar with Him that they stopped seeing the miracle in their midst? How often do we do that — grow so common with the presence of God in others that we stop recognizing His reflection in their faces?
The truth is, some people will never see God unless they see Him through your face.
Let’s rewind to another story — Jacob and Esau. From the womb, the twins wrestled for position. God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger, but instead of trusting His timing, she and Jacob took matters into their own hands. They schemed to manipulate what God had already promised. Jacob took advantage of Esau’s hunger, trading his brother’s birthright for a temporary meal that would cost him dearly.
How many of us have made choices in moments of weakness — trading something sacred for something that only satisfied us for a moment? I know I have. I ended up with both a burden and a blessing.
Only God can restore and heal what we break — in families, relationships, and even within ourselves. Temporary satisfaction can leave long-term consequences, but thank God for grace that rewrites our stories. Jacob carried guilt and fear that his past would ruin his future. But what he didn’t know was that God had already gone before him, preparing Esau’s heart and Jacob’s redemption.
When Jacob finally saw Esau again, he bowed seven times — not out of manipulation, but humility. This time, he was changed. The old Jacob was gone. He had wrestled with God, been renamed Israel, and carried the limp that proved his transformation. Esau, instead of attacking him, ran to embrace him. The two brothers wept, and Jacob said something so powerful it echoes through time:
“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” (Genesis 33:10)
What a picture of restoration.
God is raising up people who reflect His face — not because they’re perfect, but because they’ve been through transformation. You may feel like that caterpillar hidden in a dark cocoon, but God sees your process. You’re about to spread your butterfly wings. The very ones who once doubted your change will see His glory through you.
Pastor Darius Daniels once said something that stayed with me: “God loves us so much that He chooses to use us as examples. It’s our choice whether we become a model of what to do or a lesson in what not to do.”
The enemy wanted to make me a public example of failure. But God — in His mercy — decided to make me a testimony of restoration. He’s doing the same for you.
You are a living example of what grace can do. The very ones who once hurt you, doubted you, or rejected you will soon say, “To see your face is like seeing the face of God.” They’ll know He’s real because of what they see reflected through you.
So, believe again. God is healing families. He’s reconciling hearts. He’s using your life to reveal His. And when they see you — whole, healed, and walking in favor — they will know that God has truly been with you all along.