Can’t shepherd people with a cheerless countenance and neither can we fake it.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His countenance…the salvation of my countenance and my God (Psalms 42:5, 11).
“When we turn our hearts to the Lord, when we have the expression of His smiling face, we have the salvation of His countenance. When we have the salvation of His countenance, it becomes the salvation of our countenance. We need the salvation of His countenance so that He can be the salvation of our countenance, so that we can be one with Him as the great High Priest to cherish and nourish others.”
And Lord, thank You also for flowing mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16; Revelation 22:1).
Timely help is the living God, the flowing God, coming into us and flowing through us to refresh, water, and supply us; whenever, by the Lord’s blood (Heb. 10:10-20), we come forward and touch the throne of grace, God flows to refresh and water us, and we experience indescribably joy, no matter how harsh the circumstances are (1 Pet. 1:8).
(Crystallization-Study Outlines of Daniel and Zechariah, Msg. 12)