Word of Encouragement (09/11/2024)

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! (1 Chron. 16:8-13)

David’s next call is, “...let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” David further elaborates on what we are to seek about the Lord—“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” This reminds us that the Lord we seek is the Lord of strength, the almighty God. How foolish it is, then, not to seek the Lord! It is to our own loss and detriment. We don’t have to be down on ourselves for our weaknesses. We may have strengths in some areas, but we also have weaknesses. As finite creatures, we are all weak. Even in the areas of our strength, we have limitations. That we are the masters of our own fate and can forge our own destiny is only an illusion. It is like an axe claiming, “I am powerful! I alone have cut down the trees!” So, there is no shame in seeking the Lord and His strength. If we are wise, knowing ourselves, we will seek the Lord of strength and almighty power.

David also calls us to seek the Lord’s presence. What he has in mind here is not God’s omnipresence, which no one can escape (Ps. 139:7-10). Rather, he is speaking of God’s covenantal presence—that is, His fellowship. Is there anything better for us to seek than God’s presence? “[I]n your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures” (Ps. 16:11). “In the cover of your presence you hide [those who take refuge in you] from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues” (Ps. 31:20). “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Ps. 57:1).

But this invitation will not be extended forever. Isaiah said, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near...” (Isa. 55:6). What he implied was that there would come a time when the Lord might not be found. Indeed, not too long after Isaiah’s ministry, the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go” (Jer. 15:1)! This was right before the nation of Judah would be defeated and destroyed by Babylon. If God should turn His face away from us, no amount of pining and seeking will do. Thankfully, we live in an age of grace. But when Christ returns, grace will be offered no longer. But His people can seek the Lord continually because the Lord will never leave or abandon anyone who belongs to Christ through faith. This is what makes it so tragic that His people should neglect the privilege of fellowship with God in His presence!

In this invitation, we see a close connection between seeking the Lord and rejoicing—how can we not rejoice when we are in God’s presence where there is fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11)? But this connection is more than cause-and-effect in character. It does not deny that seeking the Lord will lead to rejoicing in the heart. But this invitation calls on us to rejoice while seeking the Lord: “...let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” Since we know that God is the God of joy, and He is good to His people, we can rejoice in the assurance that He will make His presence available to His beloved people!

Oh, let us seek the Lord and His strength! Let us seek His presence continually and rejoice in Him!