David, known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” wrote many songs throughout his lifetime. Whether he was offering words of lament, gratitude, worship or wisdom, David freely expressed the depth of his heart. One of my favorite songs lies tucked in the book of I Chronicles, chapter 16. Here, David writes a song of thanks after the ark has been brought into Jerusalem and placed in the tent. His heart is fixed on the Lord as He powerfully worships him for who He is and what He has done throughout the ages. This week we will spend time examining five verses of his song so that we can get a deeper sense of what it looks like to wholeheartedly honor the Lord.
“Finders, Keepers: Looking for God and Finding Something Beautiful.”
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
I Chronicles 16:11
As a kid I always loved when my mother would buy us puzzle books for long car trips. My favorite activities were always the hidden pictures, detecting the differences in two similar pictures, and the word searches. I would feel a deep sense of satisfaction when I found everything on the list. I felt even more pleased with myself when I finished before any of my sisters. I would always proudly declare that I was the best “looker” of them all. Pun intended!
Even though I haven’t done seek and find puzzles in a long time, I’m still looking for many different things on a daily basis. Sometimes, the object of my search is tangible, like my keys, or my other shoe, or a recipe that’s been on my mind. Often, what I am seeking, however, is wisdom, a resolution, or a clear direction. These are the explorations that wear me down the most. I overanalyze everything and wonder if what I am seeing or reading or feeling is somehow indicative of what I need. “Is this a sign, God?” or “Are you trying to tell me that I should wait or keep stepping forward?” Wanting to remain in His will, I can often get exhausted by constantly tuning into the details around me.
In God’s Word, the command to seek is most often coupled with the word Lord or Him. The literal meaning in Hebrew is “to seek His face or His presence.” Even though we know that He is always in our midst, we must be intentional to look for Him. Our flesh easily lures us to focus on other things apart from the beauty of God’s presence. In a sermon about seeking God, John Piper once said, “This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting; it is a conscious choice to direct the heart to God.”
When I can switch my focus to searching for Him instead of obsessively looking for other things, I powerfully encounter Him everywhere I go. On a walk I see Him in the beautiful details of His creation. In a conversation with a dear friend, I experience His love as she listens to me and encourages me. When I look at my kids, I see his incredible creativity and humor in the way that he mixed and matched my genes with my husband’s. Whenever we fix our gaze on Him instead of frantically searching for the path, we will experience what we are really looking for: His presence and His peace. And then, in His perfect way, He will eventually lead and direct us to the decision or detail we originally desired.
Jackie