Lyn Steriti

Psalm 105 - Seek His face Continually!

2:00 PM


Friday March 3rd - Psalm 105 
Seek His Face Continually!

This psalm is like taking a walk down memory lane.  We can look back on our past and see what the Lord had done for us and how He has used us to minister to others.  Just as there were events that took place for His people, we also have life changing events in our lives.  I believe that these first 5 verses are what we need to be victorious in our lives like the men in this psalm.  We will see how God used each one to accomplish His purpose and victory!

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
 Speak of all His wonders.
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
5 Remember His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth, Psalms 105:1-5

Joseph- He was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery and in prison twice.  It says his feet were afflicted with fetters [ anything that confines or restrains from motion.] I had not seen that before, Joseph was not free to move around as he pleased in jail, yet he was favored by the jail master.  After much time spent in prison, he was made ruler over all the king’s possessions.  He was used in a mighty way to save God’s people. 

He sent a man before them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They afflicted his feet with fetters,
He himself was laid in irons;
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD  tested him. Psalms 105:17-19

Bless our God, O peoples,
And  sound His praise abroad,
9 Who  keeps us in life
And does not allow our feet to slip.
10 For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined. Psalms 66:8-10

Jacob, Joseph’s father, who thought that his son Joseph was dead.  The Lord used him to make His people fruitful and stronger than their enemies. 

So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4  I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt. Genesis 46:1-7

Moses and Aaron- remember the plagues and how Pharaoh’s heart was hardened?  It took 10 plagues to get Pharaoh to let them go.  What a stubborn, obstinate [fixed firmly in resolution; not yielding to reason, arguments]  man.  In the end he ended up losing his son.  And even after the Israelites were out of Egypt, he still pursued them.

 He sent Moses His servant and Aaron, whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His wondrous acts among them,
And miracles in the land of Ham. Psalms 105:26-27

37 Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the dread of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to illumine by night.
40  They asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the  bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock and water flowed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
44 He gave them also the lands of the nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor,
45 So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws, Praise the LORD!  Psalms 105:37-45

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

We see in each of these men that they were men who lived for the Lord.  They were obedient to Him and even though they went through tough times they were victorious.  God used these men to accomplish great things.  God remembered His covenant with Abraham and kept it.

God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 1 Genesis 15:13-15

Our God is faithful and keeps His word and His promises. He can be trusted.  As you read His word see how He kept His promises, even when they were not obedient and faithful to Him.  It is good to give Him thanks for all that He has done in our lives. He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.  He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  He is the Lord our God and He remembers His covenant with His people to all generations.  We have so much to be praising Him for.

Father, we thank You for all that You have done in our lives.  May our days be filled with thanksgiving and praises to Your name.  You are the Holy One of Israel, Who has kept Your covenant to all generations.  May we live out our lives spending time each day in Your word, seeking You diligently!  May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our rock and redeemer!  We look forward to the day of Your return and that we get to spend eternity with You.  Help us to keep our focus on You, Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen!

Lyn

Daily Seeking God

My Determined Purpose is to Know Him {Psalm 105}

12:04 PM

Scripture Reading: Psalm 105

What does it mean to "seek His face"?

Seeking God simply means seeking His presence. The word translated, “presence” can also be translated, “face.” Therefore, to be before His face is to be in His presence.
From reading Psalm 105 it seems the psalmist is encouraging his readers, who may be down and discouraged to seek the Lord - His presence, and it was that word presence that jumped out at me and sent me on a journey to find out why.  


Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;Make known His deeds among the peoples.Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;Speak of all His wonders.Glory in His holy name;Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength;Seek His face continually. Remember… (Psalm 105:1-5a) 

Why are we encouraged to seek God's presence? I found some really encouraging verses that give us a clue into the importance of seeking Him.

Exodus 33:14 “And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

 Moses discovered early on that we can find rest when in His presence; not so much physical rest, but I believe a heart felt rest, from worry or anxiety. Are you ever anxious or worried about impossible tasks, or things you can't control? Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His presence... (Ps 105:4)

 Genesis 28:15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

 Jacob knew he would find comfort, protection and provision as long as he remain in God's presence. Did you notice that our God is faithful because He swears by His own name, there is no one higher, therefore His promises cannot be impacted by our will.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

 David knew that in His presence he could experience the "fullness of joy"! BUT something much more important than being filled with joy is that God will “make know to me [us] the path of life” and that speaks of eternal life, because you’re going to be enjoying God’s presence for all eternity.

 Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

 David also knew he didn't have to fear evil, difficult circumstances, or the 'unknown' because the Good Shepherd would be there to give him all the comfort, guidance, direction and protection he would need. Are you facing any uncertainties in your life right now?

Psalm 34:10 says, "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." 

 We will lack no GOOD thing when we seek His face continually! So why aren't we?

 What hinders us and keeps us from seeking God's presence continually?
P.R.I.D.E. The greatest hindrance to seeking His presence is pride. “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him” (Psalm 10:4). God's Word states that "He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6)

Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord.
Did you know that the greatest promise to those who seek the Lord is that He will be found?

  “If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). 
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13)

 AND here's the clincher, when we do seek Him, there is great reward. “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

 God himself is our greatest reward, for when we have him, we truly have everything. 

 Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (Psalm 105:4).