Seek His Face

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat —
for He grants sleep to those He loves.
—Psalm 127:1-2

God desires to be desired. He wants to be wanted. He thinks that He is worthy to be the only thing we pursue — not His hand, what He can give us or do for us, but His face.

If we could find our way to seek Him first — to chase Him rather than His blessings — then we would find Him. And His blessings would simply follow.

But if we continue to seek His hand, we will continue to live in frustration and disappointment. When our prayers are centered on what He can do for us, all our labors will be in vain. But if we focus our prayers and pursuit on Him and His face, His blessing will flow to us "even in our sleep."

Children are a perfect example (Psalm 127:3-5). Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, they give us the assurance that we have what we need to succeed in the things God has called us to do. The more we have, the more confident we become.

But not only children. This applies to all the blessings of the Lord.

When we consider that our blessings are the natural result of seeking and finding the face of God, we will have the confidence to face anything — because we will know that He is with us.

Then we can face our judges at the gate and not be the least bit concerned. Because no matter what they decide, we will always be held in God's hand.

So no matter what we receive from the world's authorities, we can know that we are being blessed by God — because we are dwelling in His presence no matter where our bodies happen to be.

(Written in confinement.)