THE REJOICING HEART (2)

“Glory in His holy name; let the HEARTS of those REJOICE who SEEK the Lord!” – Psalm 105:3

Seeking God is the root of the REJOICING HEART: “Glory in His holy name; let the HEARTS of those REJOICE who SEEK the Lord! SEEK the Lord and His strength; SEEK His face evermore” (Psa.105:3-4). The first six verses of this psalm depict how David, God’s anointed, thoroughly enjoyed the Lord, and we should too. He gave clear instructions to turn our hearts to the Lord:

Give thanks to the LORD (v.1a). Call upon His name (v.1b). Make Him and His deeds known among the peoples (v.1c).

Sing to the LORD, sing psalms to Him (v.2a, b). Tell of His wondrous works – His acts of wonders (v.2c).

Glory in His holy name (v.3a). REJOICE from the heart as you seek Him (v.3b).

Seek the LORD by looking to His strength (v.4a). Seek God’s face continually – seek Him always (v.4b).

David presented the model of seeking the Lord, His Strength and Presence, and seeking Him diligently and continually.

Seek the Lord Himself: We are to seek the Lord Himself; not for what He can do for us, but for whom He IS – for His Name. Psalm 33:21 also says: “For our HEART shall REJOICE in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.”

Seek His Strength: So often, self-dependence is a sign of immaturity. The child thinks he or she can do things without the older person’s help or assistance. That’s part of growing up, but sometimes, even as adults, our pride keeps us from calling on God. Like immature children, we think we know it all. Asking for help would demonstrate that we are not self-sufficient, and so we refuse to, until we’re humbled by circumstances and become willing to seek Jesus' help when we need it.

Seek His Presence – His face: In Hebrew thought, the face is often a substitute for the self. So “to hide one's face” is to show aversion or disgust. “To turn away the face” is to reject. For one's face to “shine” is to smile. The Aaronic blessing says: “The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His FACE shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num.6:24-26). The expression “face to face” denotes close, personal contact: “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exo.33:11a). The face of God indicates His intimate presence.

Seek Diligently: This implies seeking the Lord, His Strength and Presence with care and intent, because we cherish Him. It also means: to seek with the mind of finding or obtaining. This idea of diligent seeking of the Lord is found in other scriptures besides the Psalms: “SEEK the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. SEEK righteousness, SEEK humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zeph.2:3); “SEEK the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isa.55:6). Diligence also implies timeliness! There is an urgency and single-minded determination – a refusal to give up. David cried out: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?" (Psa. 42:2, NRSV).

Seek God continually: We must seek the Lord, His strength, and His intimate and immediate presence, continually. We don't just seek the presence of the Lord once or occasionally, but constantly and unceasingly. We seek Him in our working and in our playing; in our struggles and in our joys. Our seeking His presence is an unremitting desire. We can never have enough.

Beloved, are you reaching out to the Lord continually? Or are you satisfied with feeble prayers or superficial songs? Are you hungry and thirsty for His intimate presence, like David? (Psa.42:2). Are you passionate to know the Lord like Paul? (Phi. 3:10). Seeking the Lord with a holy hunger is proof of Trust in Him with Rejoicing Hearts. Concerning such covenant people, the Lord jealously declares: “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm” (v.15).