“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice…When You [Lord] said, “1Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I SHALL SEEK.” Do not hide Your face from me…!” (Psalms 27:7-9).
1baw-kash’ to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); to strive after. Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be IN HIS PRESENCE.
In today’s world when we are seeking for some direction, we have the awesome help of a “GPS”; Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigation system. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. The U.S. Department of Defense (USDOD) originally put the satellites into orbit, they were made available for civilian use in the 1980s. GPS satellites circle the Earth and transmit this information to triangulate a user’s exact location and it is displayed electronically on their GPS device.
Now, if we want to search the scriptures we can “click” on our bible software, on our smart phone, type “seek” and it shows us that there are 223 verses (in the ESV) that have the word seek. Or, we can do it God’s way:
“…it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”– the things God has prepared for those who love him– these are the things God has REVEALED TO US BY HIS SPIRIT. The Spirit searches all things, even THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD…so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corin. 2:9, 10, 12)
Solomon teaches us this: “I wisdom, love those who love me, and THOSE WHO SEEK ME FIND ME.” (Prov. 8:12-17)
Why is wisdom so important, because “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Prov. 9:10)
Finally Solomon said this: “…here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is THE DUTY OF ALL MANKIND.” (Eccl. 12:13)
So, here is our responsibility in “seeking” to know the Lord:
- We must have an extremely deep awe and respect for God
- We must love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength
- We must be willing to obey God in all He requires of us
- We must prayerfully search the scriptures to learn more of our Heavenly Father
- We must fast the fast God has chosen (Isaiah 58:6-14)
Let us say to the Lord “Your face Lord shall I seek”…Bill Stockham