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Dr. Ronald Powell
Seeking God's Face
What does the Bible mean when it speaks of Seeking Gods Face? That is the focus of today's study in the Word of God.
Have you ever felt like Job when he asked God why do you hide your face from me ?- Job 13:24
But like Job, God is not hiding his face. We can't see past our circumstances to realize that God is still there. He still loves us.
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." - Numbers 6:24-26
This blessing in Numbers has been spoken in the church throughout the ages as a declaration over the people. The power in this blessing is that it is in the heart of God to bless us and be gracious towards us.
When we seek His face, His face lights up because we are His dearly loved children. - Romans 8:14-17
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18
- We become like the things we focus on.
Looking on the face of God transforms us into His image.
- When we spend our time in fear or worry, our lives are filled with hardships.
- When we focus on money, we become greedy & envious.
- When we focus on our needs, we become desperate in filling them.
- When we focus on the things done wrong against us, we become bitter and angry and unforgiving.
- It is only in God that when we focus on Him that all the good things are added - Matthew 6:33
- How Do We Seek the Face of God?
I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. - Psalm 119:58
As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us . - James 4:8).
God wants to be sought out, but He is also eager to reveal Himself to those who love Him.
As we cultivate and honor this relationship, seeking the face of God becomes easier and easier.
"Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6
God says that He has placed this light in our hearts to display the face of Christ.
To seek the face of God, we need to dive into our hearts and find Christ there.
As we think about whatever is trustworthy, good, noble, and praiseworthy, our minds are drawn into God's presence. - Philippians 4:8
Dwell on things above - Colossians 3:1-2
Let you mind meditate on heavenly things. Also ask the Holy Spirit to help lead you into His presence. He is eager to help lead us to more of Christ.
As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. - Psalm 17:15
Look full into the His wonderful face. There is perspective for you in the looking. The things of this world do grow strangely dim. It's not just a song; it's an experience available to each of us.
God is in complete control of this world, and looking at His face gives peace and security to our lives.
There is healing for you in the looking. He cannot hide His love for you when you look at Him. His loves overflows into His expressions. Feelings of unworthiness and shame are washed away when you see His loving eyes for you.
The Bible is full of exhortations for us to be seeking the face of God. God loves to spend the time with us, and we need the time with Him.
Misconceptions and faulty thinking are realigned in the power of His face. A Christian is never distant from joy in their lives when they have spent regular time looking at God's face. Take time now and seek His face.
"'I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' declares the Lord GOD" - Ezekiel 39:29
- This extraordinary promise has been linked together with fulfillment of the ultimate quest. God's face is revealed in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
- When the Holy Spirit comes in power to transform lives, churches, and cities, the face of God is within reach.
- His face expresses the heart of who He is and what He is like. God's face is revealed in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 103:7 states that Moses knew the ways of God, and Israel knew His acts.
- The degree to which we perceive the face of God through the manifestations of His presence is largely determined by what is in our hearts.
The ways of God are discovered through the acts of God, but they are only recognized by those who are hungry for Him.
- For example, whenever we see an instance of God's provision, that provision is a sign. A sign points to something greater than itself. In this case the sign of provision points to God, the provider.
Taking time to recognize where a sign points to is not that complicated.
However, our value system, which grows from the affections of our hearts, determines whether we will be motivated to take that time.
If our value system places more importance on what God does than who He is-if we are religiously motivated rather than relationally motivated-we will not be drawn to recognize the greater revelation behind God's acts.
In the Western world this is a challenge, because we live in a culture that has embraced an almost entirely materialistic world view.
- This world view rules out spiritual reality and makes the physical, material realm the definition of reality.
When a materialist encounters spiritual things, he has no box in which to put them. He either has to ignore them completely or explain them by natural means, like the bystanders who said God's voice was simply thunder.
Unfortunately, this paradigm influences many believers, leaving them crippled in their ability to perceive and understand the truth of Scripture and the spiritual dimensions of their own lives, let alone supernatural encounters with God.
- All Can Perceive Through Christ (Closing)
God has made it possible for every person to see the kingdom.
Our conversion experience gives us access to that realm, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
However, it is our responsibility to develop this capacity, to train our senses to perceive God through renewing our minds and feeding the affections of our hearts on the truth. Otherwise, we will have no internal paradigm to keep us in tune with the truth amid the prevailing cultural attitudes that surround us.
The sobering thing to realize is that every time we are exposed to the miraculous-to the acts of God-we are responsible. That is, power forces us to respond. And our responses, either of faith or unbelief, shape who we are.
Unbelief hardens us to God, while faith makes us more alive to Him, more capable of knowing and perceiving Him.
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