Psalm 27: 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.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart  and wait for the Lord. - PS 27:7-14 NIV

 

Seek His face!  In times of trouble our options often seem limited.  There is nowhere we can turn.  We long to see light and yet we are surrounded by darkness.  We may feel like there is no one who will understand.  Our friends and even our father and mother have forsaken us.  We are entirely alone, cast out, burdened with no one to help bear the burden.  What do we do?

 

As the Psalmist says, we have only one recourse...to seek his face.  To seek his face means to let go of our preconceived notions of what we need.  It means to let go of our wishes, our heart's desire.  It means to look for nothing more than the comfort of seeing him.  Even in the darkness, his countenance gives us confidence, gives us hope, gives us the promise that we will see God's goodness even here on earth.  In his presence, as the song says, heaven and earth become one..