Have you ever received a text message from someone and couldn’t figure out the emotions or feelings behind the text?

You were left wondering if they were angry or upset…happy or sad…tired or frustrated…sarcastic or indifferent. Maybe there were no punctuation marks or emoji’s attached expressing the emotion or tone.

We live in a world where technology has taken over… which certainly has great benefits…but can also have some drawbacks. Like…for example…with the emergence of text messaging, actual verbal phone conversations or face to face conversations have greatly declined.

And I admit…I too have had my share of choosing to text someone over having an actual face to face conversation.

And unfortunately, this increase in text messaging has given many of us a mask to hide behind and a means of avoidance. We can more commonly avoid face to face confrontation with others and more often throw previously known proper etiquette out the window…from putting in our 2 week notice with our bosses to even breaking up in our relationships through a text message. Yeah it happens! And some of you know exactly what I am talking about!

Furthermore, many discussions in marriages are taking place via text leaving both individuals assuming…even guessing…the emotions…the tone…surrounding the discussion…which certainly doesn’t help in reconciliation.

Misinterpretation of feelings…thoughts…or attitudes can be prevented through having actual verbal conversations and even more so through having more face to face conversations. Why?

Because a person’s face reveals so much! Besides the actual verbal tones that can be expressed there are also many non-verbal cues that a face reveals.

When we look at a person’s face…we are looking at a lot more than just a physical face. A person’s face reveals a lot about a person. You can tell if they are happy…sad…angry…tired…worried…hurt…excited…in love…and the list can go on!

The face of a person is like an open window that allows us to see inside of that person….their thoughts…their pain…their joy…their heart.

In the Bible, God also stresses the importance of seeking His face. He wants us as Christians to seek His face!

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 105:4 NASB

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.” Psalm 27:8 NASB

We can learn a lot by looking at a person’s face…and even more specifically their eyes.

Have you ever looked at someone’s eyes and knew exactly what they were feeling? Jesus even said…

The eye is the lamp of the body. Matthew 6:22 NIV

Interestingly…the Greek word for “face” is prosopon which is translated as “towards the eye.”

I love what Roman Philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero once said…

The face is the picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter.

As Christians, we know it is important to seek God…but what exactly does it mean to “seek God’s face?” And to “seek His face” continually?!

Well…just like a physical face of a person can reveal a person’s thoughts and emotions…seeking God’s face reveals God to us. His face reveals His love…His compassion…His grace…His affection…His favor…His pain…His wrath…His mind…His heart.

Seeking God’s face is not seeking a physical face or imagining God with a face. It’s not even merely seeking God’s presence.

Seeking God’s face is seeking and desiring to know the heart and mind of God.

Many times we only seek God’s hand (what God can give us)…not His face.

We go to God to seek His hands…

Hands that help…hands that give…hands that bless…hands that provide…hands that protect…hands that guide…hands that heal…etc.

Now please don’t misunderstand me…there is nothing wrong with seeking God’s hand. And God actually tells us in His Word to go to Him with our requests and that we do not have because we do not ask. (Philippians 4:6, James 4:2)

Unfortunately, however, we often spend more time seeking God’s hand and spend less time seeking His face!

A face that reveals who God is… not just what He can give us.

God doesn’t just provide…He is your Provider! It’s who He is!

He doesn’t just heal…He is your Healer!

He doesn’t just give you peace…He is Peace!

He doesn’t just give you joy…He is Joy!

He doesn’t just give you hope…He is Hope!

He doesn’t just give you love…He is Love!

He didn’t just create you…He is your Creator!

He doesn’t just give life…He is Life!

He doesn’t just save you…He is your Savior!

He doesn’t just guide you…He is your Great Shepherd!

He doesn’t just comfort you…He is your Comforter!

He doesn’t just protect you…He is your Refuge, your Shield, your Fortress, your Strong Tower!

It’s who He is.

He is the Great I am…your All Consuming Fire…the King of Kings…the Lord of Lords… the Everlasting God…God Almighty…God Most High…Your Abba Father!

By seeking God’s face and understanding who He is…we can see and know the heart and mind of God!

God wants us to seek His face.

How much time do you spend seeking God’s face (who He is)? Do you spend more time seeking His hand (what He can give you)?

We must be intentional in seeking God’s face because its way more natural…and easier…to seek His hand…isn’t it?

The more we seek His face…the more we will know His heart and mind.

The more we seek His face…the more we will see His love…His compassion…His grace…His favor…His affection…His pain.

The more we seek His face…the more we will know what He desires us to do and how we can be obedient to Him.

The more we seek His face…the more we will know His will and set our own fleshly desires aside.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

Seeking God’s face will create greater intimacy in our relationship with Him and will ultimately transform us into His image! God desires each and every one of us to seek His face…And when we do….He will reveal so much more to us…more than we can ever think or imagine!

Reflection Points:

1. What does it mean exactly to “seek God’s face?”
2. How much time do you spend seeking God’s face (who He is)? Do you spend more time seeking His hand (what He can give you)?
3. What can you do to seek God’s face more in your relationship with Him?
4. What is holding you back from seeking His face more?

Action Points:

1. Seeking God’s face is seeking and desiring to know the heart and mind of God. Seeking God’s face reveals God to us. His face reveals His love…His compassion…His grace…His affection…His favor…His pain…His wrath…His mind…His heart.
2. God wants us to seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 105:4 NASB). If we are spending more time seeking His hand rather than His face…we are not truly grasping who God is! Seeking God’s face will create greater intimacy in our relationship with Him and will ultimately transform us into His image! God desires each and every one of us to seek His face…And when we do….He will reveal so much more to us…more than we can ever think or imagine!
3. Practically…we must set time aside each day to seek God’s face more. When you read a daily devotional or a passage in the Bible during your time with God…be more intentional about knowing who God is…His character traits…His likes and dislikes…His feelings…His thoughts.
4. It is much easier to seek God’s hand than to seek His face. Seeking His face takes more time…energy…effort…and discipline. If you aren’t disciplined in spending more time seeking God’s face…then pray and ask Him to help you. He will help you because it’s His will that you seek His face!