30/08/2014
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. - (Psalm 24:6; 27:8).
What does it mean to seek GOD's face? In the bible to seek GOD's face is to seek His favor and to desire what pleases Him. So, how do we seek GOD's F.A.C.E. ?
First on the list is F - riendship or Fellowship. Our basis of our seeking the face of GOD is because of our Friendship or Fellowship with Him through His Son (cf 1 John 1:5-7). JESUS told His disciples, I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know His master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15). Now, before we came to Christ and received Him as Savior we were GOD's enemies. But when we accept JESUS as our LORD and Savior we are reconciled back to GOD and in effect become GOD's friend (Rom 5:10-11). Could you imagine if you are a friend of Queen Elizabeth? Or Bill Gates? or any influential people in the world? That means you have access to these influential people which regular folks does not have. That would be awesome right? But how much more if we are a friend of GOD, the One who created all things and has all the power over all things, isn't that infinitely awesome!
Secondly, to seek GOD's face means to A - dore Him. Sometimes we come to GOD with a list of things as if GOD is a genie that grants all our wishes which He is not. Or we just come rushing in His presence and forgetting to thank Him for past answers or simply adoring Him (cf Phil 4:6). That's why fellowship with GOD should be foremost in our mind when we are seeking His face and so is adoration or worship. We desire to seek GOD's face because we desire His presence more than anything else. As the psalmist said "In Thy presence there is pleasure forevermore..". (Ps 16:11). Or do you remember when JESUS taught His disciples about prayer (Luke 11:1-4)? The first word or phrase there is "Our Father", that is, we come to GOD on the basis of our relation with Him through His Son (more on this in a moment) but after that He said "Hallowed be Your Name", that means you exalt the Name of GOD above else and therefore in effect adoring Him and worshipping Him.
Thirdly, to seek GOD's face means to seek GOD through C-hrist or our prayer should be Christ-centered. Thomas one of the disciples of the LORD JESUS asked "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5). By the way shouldn't this be the question of the entire humanity since the Fall? How can we access GOD who is infinitely Holy and beyond comprehension? In fact I personally believe that man tries to answer that question by their own way and efforts. And that's what religion is all about, that is, trying to score points with GOD in order to approach Him. But unfortunately man is a sinner but GOD again is infinitely Holy and so, it's not the way. GOD then made a way for us through His Son JESUS Christ. He is GOD (John 1:1) and so He become man or flesh (John 1:14) so that through His death we may become reconciled to GOD if we accept GOD's offer of reconciliation (Rom 5:8-11; 2 Cor 5:21) because without the shedding of blood (of someone who is pure and sinless) there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22). And that's why when JESUS answered Thomas He saide
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). In fact through the blood of JESUS, GOD opened a "new and living way" (Heb 10:19-20) towards Him. JESUS on probably the eve before His death told His disciples "I will do whatever you ask in my Name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask anything in my Name, and I will do it." (John 14:13-14).
Lastly, but not the least to seek GOD's face is to be E-nergized or E-mpowered by His Holy Spirit. The early church in the book of Acts not only on the day of Pentecost but in many occasions - the Holy Spirit's presence was very evident in their seeking of GOD. The success of the early church is not out of their ingenuity or popularity or intellect but borne out of the Holy Spirit. And Zechariah said "Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit says the LORD Almighty!" (Zech 4:6) Paul in his epistles to the Ephesians commanded them to "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.." (Eph 6:18). And in his letter to the Romans he said "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with GOD's will" (Rom 8:26-27). We humans no matter how educated we are, we in many ways does not still know how to pray. And worst we don't know to pray in accordance with GOD's will. And this is where the Holy Spirit comes in for us. He helps in our weakness in the right way to pray and to pray according to GOD's will. In fact He is interceding for us, so that our prayer will align according to what GOD desires for our lives and in line with His sovereign plan for us and for the whole world.
