Seek

Seek

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

MY FRIEND LORI recently told me of an experience she had with her four-year-old grandson at a wedding they attended. She said he was so good during the ceremony and then—just as the pastor prayed over the couple, asking that God’s presence would be with them—the little boy’s head popped up as he exclaimed, “Presents? I want presents!” Everyone chuckled as my friend quieted him down.

Later on she told me that God had whispered to her how that’s often how we live our lives. We all want God’s presents—all the blessings and good gifts he brings us—but we don’t want to take the time to be in his presence. We can often hurry through our days, not taking much time to be with him.

As she relayed her story and the truth God taught her through it, I thought about how that is true in my own life. I love what God can do for me, but I often rush through my time with him or the harder things in life where he may be wanting to teach or refine me because it’s easier to focus on the good stuff he can do for me.

It’s easy to seek God’s hand, to ask for all the things we need or want, but it’s harder to seek his face. Because to seek God’s face means I need to be willing to spend time in his presence. I have to be intentional to be with God, and this sometimes feels less tangible or purposeful. But when we’re willing to just be with God, that is often when his character is revealed to us. That is when we see his heart for us and those around us. It’s often in those moments that God begins the work to change our own hearts or grow us. Then as we live our lives, we walk through our days more confident of who God is, not just what he can do, because we’ve come to know him even better. Because we’ve sought his face.

Lord, help us to seek your face and not just your hand. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Spend time seeking God’s face today by being present with him.