“Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually”. (1 Chronicles 16:11)
My face unlocks my iPhone and iPad. It can be used in law enforcement, give me access to airports, and if needed, even in border patrol security. Some say that my face can break a mirror and stop a clock as well.
😳 My face, along with many others, is one of 650,000 photos that are stored in law enforcement databases. Anytime you tag an individual on Facebook, it is stored in their database.
My family recognizes my face as well. The minute they see my face, they know it’s me. When Teresa looks at my face, she knows if I’m happy or if I’m sad, feeling good or feeling bad, or even if something is bothering me. Of all the biometric measurements, facial recognition is considered the most natural of them all.
As a New Year dawns upon us, I want to encourage you to seek facial recognition with God. The very mark of the people of God in scripture was that their faces were turned toward the future and were marked by confidence and expectation. Even when the prophets predicted destruction, they had an understanding that if we turned toward God in obedience and repentance, wonderful things would come from God’s Hand.
God loves to bring new things into our lives.
The psalmist tells us of a new song that the Lord has given him. (Ps. 42:8).
Isaiah writes of new things to be learned and a new name (Isa. 42:9; 62:2) and a new heaven and new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22).
Jeremiah proclaims a new covenant and new mercies every morning (Jer. 31:31; Lam. 3:22-23).
Ezekiel tells of a new spirit and a new heart (Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26).
The New Testament continues this theme.
a new birth (1 Peter 1:3)
a new life (Rom. 6:23)
a new self (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10)
a new attitude (Eph. 4:23)
a new commandment (John 13:34)
a new and living way (Heb. 10:20)
a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15)
a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
The life of Moses teaches us many things. One lesson is that we should never continue our life journey without God. Moses knew the necessity, the value, and the delight of God’s company. He refused to move or to lead without God’s presence. “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33). God agreed, “My Presence will go with you.” The Hebrew translation reads, “My face will go with you.”
I find that Hebrew translation very interesting. As we journey into 2022, we should remember to never travel without the face of God being with us. In a one-year Covid period, more than 4,000 churches closed, and 20,000 pastors left the ministry. A shocking fifty percent of current pastors said that they would leave the ministry if they had another way of making a living. These are tragic statistics. Without being judgmental toward these 20,000 pastors, I wonder if they came face to face with God every day. A face is an incredible thing. It speaks louder than a voice and it is more tender than a touch. God desires a face-to-face relationship with His people. When we are face to face, we can see in His face what He wills for us, what pleases Him, and what brings Him sorrow. When we are face to face with anyone, especially God himself, we have their full, undivided attention.
Teresa knows when I am not listening. When it is important to her, she wants to know that she has my full and undivided attention. On more than one occasion, I have noticed her pausing until I stopped what I was doing, looked at her, put down a book or my phone, turned away from a computer or television screen, and listened with intent at what she wanted to say. It is only then that she has the confidence that I will listen and understand. Compare that to how we approach God. Do we observe the pause? Do we give Him our full and undivided attention? Do we listen with intent and with understanding? Do we give Him the opportunity to see our countenance?
Dennis F. Kinlaw said, “In Jesus Christ, we can see the face of God, revealed by the Holy Spirit.” Don’t start 2022 alone. You can be face to face with God!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24 – 26)