Seeking The Face of God
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Psalm 27:8 (ESV)
Hello everyone and praise be to God our Father!
We continue to thank God that He has kept us. We thank Him for the blessings He gives to us freely and generously. And yet – we also thank God for who He is. Our God and our Lord.
Which leads me into today’s topic – why do we seek God, why do we pursue Him? Is it just for His blessings or is there more? The bible is full of stories about men and women who sought God. Some, however, only sought God for what He gave. Consider the story in Jn 6:22-40. After Jesus fed the five thousand, He went to the other side of the sea of Galilee. The crowd then followed Him seeking Him. Jesus however saw their hearts. He told them they were looking for Him, because of the food (and might I add free food) that they had received from him on the previous day. Jesus then goes on to teach the crowd the importance of seeking Him (and only Him) as the bread of life vs 27, 35.
Do you have friends or relatives who only look for you when they need something from you? I have. Once you have given them what they need or want, you never hear from them again until the next time they need something… (and the next time…and the next time…). How does it feel? What is your reaction when you see them coming your way or when you see their number on your incoming calls? It is tempting to avoid them.
God does not avoid us when we seek Him for what He gives. He is gracious and kind, giving generously without reproach or blame (Js 1:6). However, He encourages us to seek Him as a matter of priority so we can relate to Him in a deep and meaningful way.
So what does it mean – to seek the face of God? In Ps 27:4, David asks God for one thing, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple”. I love how the Amplified bible defines “to seek” in this verse. It’s “to inquire for and require God’s presence as your vital need”. Seeking God continually means “being alive” to His presence continually. We know that God’s presence is always with us (Heb 13:5) but we need to make conscious effort to “be alive” and present to Him. To give honour, value and esteem to Him and His Word not just for what we can get from Him but because we love and reverence Him for who He is. Because we value our relationship with Him.
The Kings of Israel and Judah were often described in one of two ways. Those who sought after God and those who did not seek God but rather sought after idols. We can learn much from them about seeking God.
Let’s look at two examples – King Asa and King Jehoshaphat his son. Their stories can be found in 2 Chron chapters 14 to 20. When King Asa came into power, he commanded Judah to seek after God (14:3-4). The result is that the kingdom had rest under his rule, he won battles against the enemy and he prospered. (2 Chron 14:5-15). Encouraged by Azariah the prophet, King Asa went on to rally the entire kingdom of Judah to enter into a covenant with God in order to seek Him wholeheartedly. God was found by them (2 Chron 15:12-15) and they enjoyed His favour for many years.
Towards the end of his reign however, King Asa deviated from seeking after God. When the northern kingdom of Israel came against him, instead of turning to God, King Asa allied himself with another territory - Syria (2 Chron 16:1-9). When he fell sick, he did not seek God but rather sought the physician’s help (2 Chron 16:12). Let me be clear on this. Turning to Syria or to physicians in itself was not wrong. The problem was that King Asa trusted men rather than God. Ps 118:8-9 puts it this way, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes”.
A person who seeks after God will be focused and guided by God at all times. The Lord may lead them to work with others or to get help from others but ultimately – it is by seeking God and walking in His presence (his ways and under his direction) - that is the key. Last week’s devotional titled “Knowing the Spirit of Truth in today’s age of media messages…” by Beth Parkinson highlighted the importance of being guided by the Spirit of Truth always in a world that offers so many alternative opinions, so much ungodly advice and information.
Another example of someone who sought God was King Jehoshaphat (King Asa’s son). He was one of the Judah’s best Kings. God’s presence was with him because he sought after God (2 Chron 17: 3-4). The result was God established the kingdom under his hand, he prospered and had riches and honour and his heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord (2 Chron 17: 5-6). So much so that he went on to carry out many religious reforms that turned his people’s hearts back to God (2 Chronicles 19). He also won significant victories against his enemies (2 Chron 20)
In all these, it is important to note that seeking God is an issue of priority. Yet for many Christians, seeking after the things of God seems to be the norm. A search on the internet shows that topics related to the blessings of God, the things He gives us, such as healing, prosperity, successful relationships, peace, joy etc are the most searched and viewed. However, mature Christians like Paul the apostle testify that nothing compares to the worth of knowing (having close personal and intimate relationship with) the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:7-8). Jesus told His disciples that seeking God, His Kingdom and His righteousness were to be our priority. Other things would follow this absolute and vital necessity (Matt 6:33).
My prayer for all of us the KIC – Lubowa family is that we will seek the Lord with all our hearts. His Word promises in Jer 29:14 that when we do this, we will indeed find Him. And when we do find Him we will enjoy Him for the rest of our lives.
Have a blessed week!
Questions for meditation / discussion
Define (using your own words), what it means to seek the face of God?
What are the things that “follow you” when you seek God? Look up some of these verses to find out; Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 28:5, Matthew 6:31-33, Psalm 34:4, Amos 5:4, Psalm 119:2
Getting help from godly men and women is not necessarily wrong and can be part of seeking the Lord. However, we need to be careful that we do not prioritize them (and ourselves) above God and His Word.
Think of 2 examples in the bible where people did not seek the Lord for help and went on to follow their own wisdom or other people’s wisdom. What was the result?
Think of 2 examples in the bible people sought the Lord for help and he directed them to get help from others. What was the result?
Prayer Points
Praise and thank God that His presence is always with us and that He rewards us when we diligently seek Him.
Pray that the body of Christ as a whole may continue to seek and value God’s guidance and wisdom during these challenging times.
