“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalms 27:1, 3-5, 8, 11, 14
This Psalm! Wow! Every verse has me on the edge of my seat. As I read the Old Testament, there are numerous verses where God hides His face because of the wickedness of people. Oh, but GRACE- so very much grace! We, who are unworthy, are called upon- by this perfectly Holy God- to know Him and know Him well. He calls for us to seek His face. I love the Psalmist’s response, “my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”
That is my heart’s cry. I will seek your face, LORD. I just want to know Him better. The things He uses to get my full attention are so different than what I would probably choose. He draws me close in a way that at first makes me feel like I’m struggling- not in control. It can feel prickly, even painful. What am I doing? As I settle into the thing He’s chosen to draw me close, instead of recoiling at His methods, I remembered what I was seeking- His face. Peace floods my soul like a warm embrace.
This world is spinning like a crazy place. People are hurting, and there is so much confusion everywhere. God wants peace to rule in my life. He is Peace. So instead freaking out, my heart will cry out, “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.”
Warning. If you start actively seeking Jesus’ face, Satan will not like that. The good thing is, we serve the One Who spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly when He died on the cross. No wonder the encouragement to our heart is, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” We aren’t here to figure everything out. We’re here to find our purpose in our Creator and have a deep relationship with Him. While we wait to be united with Him face to face, we worship.
Sure, people may be trying to fast track their own destruction, and it seems like new, bad ideas to do crazy, wicked stuff are invented every day. But instead of getting angry, trying to control others, or cowering in fear of Satan’s next move—let’s behold God’s beauty, hide in His pavilion, camp on the Rock and bask in the grace that allows us to seek His face. Show Him to others. Jesus is still a solid foundation to build a life upon. If it sounds personal, it is! I'm preaching to myself.
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” Psalms 27:5
What is the one thing you desire in your life? Be honest with yourself. Is it worth seeking?
“One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.” Psalms 27:4
