Seek his face

DEVOTION

PSALMS

SEEK HIS FACE

Ps 105:1-7

105:1

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

NIV

This giving of thanks to the Lord has a significate meaning for our lives. First, we have to know that it is God who has given us everything. It can be easy to forget that and think it is our ability, our intelligence, our education, our understanding of science and the social/economic structure that allows us to provide what we want now and in the future years of our life. We must remember we can be snuffed out in an instant, life can be over at the blink of an eye. Then who will get all we struggled to accumulate?

Luke 12:20

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

NIV

No, we have to give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name and tell everyone what God has provided for us, what he has done in our lives, and how everything we have, everything we are, and every ability, skill, knowledge, is because of the Spirit working in our lives. It is all God, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture, to do with as he sees fit. This is the peace which Jesus gives us, not as the world gives, but his peace, which is defined as the assurance  of salvation of our soul, and a contentment with our position in life whatever that may be. When we strive for the things in our life, when we want what we want and we want it now, we only breed discontentment, envy, jealously and greed. Because we do not get everything we want, we can become discouraged and that can lead to depression. What a mess our life can be when we do not give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name. How destructive our life can be when we do not tell the nations of what God has done for us. What a sorrowful life we could lead if we are not singing to him. Singing praise to him, and telling of all his wonderful acts. How introspective we become when we do not glory in his holy name, for when we do not glory in his name, we might well be trying to glory in our name. There is no way our heart can rejoice unless it is seeking God. This is not a game of hide and seek, for he is easy to find, he wants us to find him and rejoice in him. When we look to our own strength we can be assured it is never enough. First and foremost we cannot save ourselves, no matter how many “Good works” we do. Second, we cannot find any assurance because of our “Good works”. There is nothing we can do in order to gain a better standing in the presence of God. The only way we gain life is to loss it, to give it to Jesus, to be in Christ. Salvation is ours because of what God has done. Then all we have, all we are, and all we do is based on the hand of God, the working of the Spirit in our lives. We are weak, he is strong, and he makes our path straight. Left to our own strength, our own abilities, knowledge or education, our paths will be crooked. When we rely on what we think is the best method, the most productive way to life, to give ourselves the best advantage to obtain the best life has to offer, we will be walking a crooked path that leads nowhere, maybe even on that wide road that leads to destruction. It may be the most popular lifestyle of the world, but it should not be ours. That is not to say we do not have a hand in our life, but all our abilities, skills, knowledge is a result of the inspiration of the Spirit. So we walk the narrow path, the straight path led by God, who gives us light to show us the way in which we are to go. We need to be constantly seeking his face. We remember all the things he has already done, already provided, the miracles he has performed in our lives. Everything he does is right and just. Therefor our life is right and just if we seek his face.