Psalm 27:7-10 - "Seek My Face"

“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me..." The fact that we are reading this, or listening to the chat today, is proof that we made it through last year! Which means that the LORD took care of us, met our needs, and saw us through the trials and challenges we have faced to this point. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be new difficulties and problems to face this coming year. As we have already seen in Psalm 27:1-6, David experienced God’s grace, mercy and help in his circumstances when he was fleeing from Saul (v. 2). Instead of fear, he had confident faith in the LORD’s help (v. 3)! He made his personal worship and communion with the LORD a priority every day and could experience the “joy of the LORD” in the difficult times of his life (v. 6). Now in verses 7 through 10, we see and hear David again crying out to God, not just in his heart silently, but loudly with his voice, and he was asking for mercy (v. 7)! David knew that yesterday’s blessings were not enough for today or for the future. He knew he was a sinner in constant need of God’s grace and forgiveness. We never arrive to a point were don’t need God’s love and mercy. We need it today as much as we ever did! It's one thing to behold the Lord in the sanctuary and quite something else to see the enemy approaching on the battlefield. What if there was something wrong in David's life and the Lord abandoned him in the midst of the battle? When David cried out, he heard the still small voice of the Spirit of God answer him in his heart saying, "Seek my face." (If you have time, you can read these many references about seeking the face of God: Psalms 24:6; 105:4; Deut. 4:29; 1 Chron. 16:11; 2 Chron. 7:14; Hos. 5:15.) What does it mean that the Lord's face "shines upon us" (Num. 6:22-27) or is turned toward us. In the Scriptures, it means that God is pleased with us and will help us. But it also indicates, that when His face is turned from us, that He is displeased with us (Psalm 69:16-18; 143:7). And this is definitely a time we must search our hearts and confess our sins. One of my favorite stories in Genesis is about Jacob having to face his brother Esau after being away for over 21 years (Genesis 33). Jacob had stolen both his brother’s birthright, and his brother’s blessing from their father Isaac, and knew that Esau had threatened to kill him. As Jacob prepared to meet Esau, he first met with the LORD at Jabbok’s Brook and was transformed and renewed. Now as he made things right with his brother, asking forgiveness, he made this statement: “And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me” (Genesis 33:10) People sometimes ask me where they can find God. My answer is always the same. You will find God where you lost Him! We lose “the face of God” upon us when we disobey and selfishly sin against His Word and His will in our lives. Go back to that place and confess your sin and acknowledge your wrong and you will find the “face of God” upon you once again. My friend, today do you hear God’s tender small voice saying, “Seek My face”? If you do, James gives us instructions in how to respond: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:7-10). God bless!