“Look at Me”: Seeking God’s Face in Chaos

“When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” – Psalm 27:8, NKJV

It’s very easy to focus on the biggest, loudest or most prominent problems in our life. Somehow, problems, worries and challenges act like a magnet and continually draw our gaze. And yet, focusing on the dark of our life only creates more chaos and confusion in our heart. We have this capability of magnifying what we focus on, which if used negatively, can be detrimental to our faith and our life. But if we choose to shift our focus, what incredible things could we magnify in our life?

A few weeks ago, as I stressed about many things racing across my mind, God spoke into my heart with these words: “Have you been looking at me?” In that moment, I knew that I’d been magnifying my fears by choosing to focus on them instead of focusing on the things God had spoken to me. God was reminding me that if I simply paused and took a look at Him, I could change my perspective and shift my focus.

Reading through the Psalms, I noticed that seeking God’s face is a continuous practice. In fact, it’s a practice that we see all throughout the Bible. There is something powerful about seeking God’s face at all times. Throughout the Bible, we see different people in desperate situations, in seasons of discouragement, pain, sadness or loneliness, doing one key thing: they sought the face of God.

Seeking the face of God is to seek God wholeheartedly, longing to see Him as He truly is. It is to seek His glory and to seek Him for who He is. Many times, we seek His hand, which is also a biblical concept. But God calls us higher. Instead of seeking only what He can give us and do for us, seeking His face means to seek Him out of love and longing; seek Him out of deep spiritual hunger.

In Psalm 27, David’s cry for help turns into an earnest seeking of His face. In the midst of trials and opposition, with very real enemies and persecution, David’s cry for help turns into an anthem of praise and genuine search for God’s face. His focus shifted from the present troubles to seeking God. Suddenly, he is no longer putting his troubles under a magnifying glass. He is magnifying God. He is seeking Him.

Like David, I believe that God is inviting us deeper to seek His face. He is inviting us into an encounter with His goodness. What would our own lives look like if we took a minute to shift our focus from our troubles and took a moment to seek God’s face? What if, for just a moment, we decided to seek Him for who He is without expecting anything in return?

I believe that in seeking God’s face, we obtain a new perspective. When we behold Him, our problems shift from impossible barriers to walkable paths God leads us through. When we behold God, the impossibilities in our life suddenly seem possible with Him on our side. When we see God’s face, problems shrink and His plans for us grow bigger.

I believe God is willing to give us His perspective if we only take a moment to look at His face. When we pause to look at Him, we see His plans for us in His eyes. We see what we could be and how our situations can turn out for good. We see that, ultimately, He has good plans for us to give us a hope and a future.

Today, if you are feeling weighed down by your current season of life or an impossibility you may be facing, remember to pause and behold His face. The invitation is open. God is willing to show us His plans for us and to give us a new perspective. All we have to do is earnestly seek His face. Let us determine in our hearts to behold the Lord and seek His face. Let us determine to pursue Him passionately and wholeheartedly, holding nothing back. Let us hold fast to His promise that when we seek Him, we will find Him.

Like Moses, let us hunger to see His glory. Let us not be willing to move on until we experience more of God and see Him magnified in our lives. Let us seek His face. Let us love His face. Let us seek Him with a pure heart, knowing that our portion as children of God is to see and experience His goodness.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8, KJV

Until next time,
Anna

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Photo by Cherry Laithang on Unsplash