THY FACE, LORD, WILL I SEEK
“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Psalm 27:8
These words of David express the heart of a man that is eager and earnest in the pursuit of God. In describing the spirit of David, Samuel used these words, “the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart” (I Samuel 13:14). When God was looking for a man after His own heart, He found such a man in David. David was not perfect; he indeed made mistakes; but David gives us a good example of a man who was a serious seeker of God.
There are things in David’s past that we would never want to imitate, but we can learn much from him when it comes to seeking God. God is still looking for men and women who are “after his own heart” and are seeking Him diligently. David knew that it was God’s will that he seek His face. Speaking to God, the psalmist said, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” The responsibility to seek God’s face was one that David took seriously because he knew that God Himself commanded it.
We are likewise commanded to seek God’s face. To seek His face is to seek to know Him, to pursue Him, to live for His pleasure and purpose, to walk in His presence, to enjoy communion with Him, etc. This is God’s will and His purpose for all of His children. This is not an objective that has originated with God’s servants, though His prophets should challenge His people to seek Him. It is God’s clear command for His own, and David understood this, saying, “When thou saidst.” David answered this command with, “Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” This should be our response as well. We ought to be committed to a life that is seeking the Lord.
There is an extremely important detail given by David in his pledge to seek God when David said, “my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” It was the heart of a man responding to the will of the Father. Seeking God is a matter of the heart. An unsaved student of religion can seek to know information about God. An unconverted church member can pledge to read his Bible daily. Even a stubborn, carnal, and worldly believer can say prayers; but this is not what God is looking for. He wants our hearts, our devotion, and our sincere love. He wants our hearts to say, “Thy face, LORD, will I seek.”