SCRIPTURE
“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8
“They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.” Psalm 24:5-6
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4
“I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” Psalm 119:58
SPOTLIGHT
When you look for someone’s help you are seeking for someone’s assistance. You need their service. You want that person to do something for you so that you can rectify a problem or get out of a mess. When you get a flat tire, you call AAA to fix it. When you go to the deli at the supermarket, you ask the butcher for certain cuts of meat. When you have a toothache, you go to the dentist for help. Each time you are seeking the service that person offers.
When a believer is facing a mountain that he/she cannot climb, or is walking through a dark valley of life, God does it a different way. He does not want you to first seek His service but instead seek His face. The verses mentioned above clearly point this out. Seek God’s face, not His hand. Seek to know God before seeking healing. Seek to know God better before seeking His help. God wants you to know Him. Your Creator longs for a personal relationship with you, His creation. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He longs for you to get beyond the acquaintance level. When Moses sought to know God, he got so close to Him that he had to take off his shoes for he realized he was standing on holy ground. When Isaiah sought to know God, he got so close that he had to cry out how unclean he personally felt he was.
God’s hand is so important because it is the hand of protection and pleasure; (Psalm 16:8,11), the hand of power; (Psalm 17:7, 89:13, 95:5, 102:25), the hand of penitence; (Psalm 32:4), the hand of Presence; (Psalm 110:5, 119:73, 139:5), and the hand to be praised. (Psalm 92:4, 143:5, 145:16). The Bible does not instruct you to seek God’s hand, the Bible instructs you to seek God’s face first. Seek God’s face, before seeking His hand of help. Begin seeking God for who He is before seeking God for what He does for you. We tend to ask God more for things than worship God. In God’s Presence, you will experience everything you need. The Bible says “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:11).
When you seek God’s face rather than His hand, you set yourself up for a dramatic change. The monumental mountain that you are facing, or the deep dark valley that you are walking through will become so small in comparison to experiencing God’s closeness, goodness, and greatness. The whipping, stormy winds are breezes in comparison to God’s power. Your gigantic trial decreases in comparison to God’s closeness. The mountainous problem that you’re facing diminishes in comparison to God’s goodness.
Just look at the face of Jesus Christ as He hangs on the cross. His face is filled with pain and anguish and then He commits Himself to God the Father. Jesus Christ died well. Just look at Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr. As he was being stoned to death and experiencing excruciating pain, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. Forgiveness filled his heart as he prayed for his assassinators.
The first thing that you need to do when facing trials is to seek God’s face. Looking into the face of God will relieve all worry and fear. The Giver of life, your Heavenly Father, is far greater and more important than the gift of life. Look to God’s face before looking to God’s hand. You can have a gift without knowing the giver. You can receive something without knowing the benefactor. But how incomplete that is! Should you need another gift later in life, you do not know who the giver is or where to find him. When you seek God’s face, He reveals Himself to you. You experience His closeness, goodness and greatness which will overwhelm you.
SOMETHING TO DO
Here are 3 things you can do to seek God today:
1. Begin your day with God…even before your first cup of coffee.
2. Talk to God throughout your day more often then the person you talk to the most on your cell phone.
3. End your day with God before going to sleep.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I have decided to know You better. I realize my need for this. Holy Spirit teach me new ways to know You more. Amen.