Seek His Face

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;  be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.  Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Psalm 27:7-11

It is very likely that David wrote this Psalm early in his life when he was fleeing from Saul. When you read this particular Psalm, you’ll notice a concept that seems a little strange to our modern minds. David is a man desperate for the face of God. Does God have a face like a man that David is looking to see or is there something else going on here? The “face” is best understood as the attention or personal presence of God. In this time of need and distress, this man longed to see God’s face.

A young child is greatly disturbed when a parent leaves the room because the “face” of the parent is now hidden from the child. Often as my kids have grown up, what they want most from me is my presence. In this Psalm, you see a similar longing from David towards his Heavenly Father. There is a sincere desire and connection between being faced by God and being heard, saved, and helped. David was a man who sought God and is an excellent example for other men to do likewise.

DO THIS TODAY: In times of distress, seek God’s face.