July 5, 2022

Psalm 105: 4 (NIV)

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Like a gracious father, our God can hardly wait for His children to request what is good.*

There’s a song about “looking for love in all the wrong places,” but we could also sing about looking for hope in all the wrong places. We have been brain-washed into believing that the strength we need to face crisis and heartbreak can be found within ourselves. That belief is only viable if the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Without his presence, our personal resources range from inadequate to useless.

The psalmist in this passage advises us to look to the Lord as our source of strength. He says to seek the Lord’s face always – to which we might add a reminder to do it first. I don’t know why we think we have to figure it all out for ourselves before we give God a chance at it. Do we not want to bother God with our problems? Are we afraid we will take him away from something important if we ask for his help? Do we think he doesn’t care? Perhaps we’re just too impatient to wait for him to come to our rescue.

My greatest spiritual growth spurts have always occurred while I was waiting for God. I still have a lot to learn about waiting patiently but nothing compares to the comfort of his Spirit throughout the process and the joy of seeking his face and finding it.

God’s true presence requires that we stop working in our strength and rely on His.*