1 Chronicles 16:7-22: a reflection

7Then on that day David first ordained giving of thanks to the LORD by the hand of Asaph and his brothers. 8Oh give thanks to the LORD. Call on his name. Make what he has done known among the peoples. 9Sing to him. Sing praises to him. Tell of all his marvelous works. 10Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11Seek the LORD and his strength. Seek his face forever more. 12Remember his marvelous works that he has done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, 13you offspring of Israel his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14He is the LORD our God. His judgments are in all the earth. 15Remember his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, 16the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac. 17He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18saying, “I will give you the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance,” 19when you were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it. 20They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people. 21He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes, 22“Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!”

When David brings the ark to Jerusalem, he appoints a psalm of thanks to be sung, and running through it is a repeated call: Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his face continually. Give thanks, sing, remember his wonders, and, above all, seek the LORD, not once, but continually, always. The psalm is not content with an occasional turning to God; it calls for a continual, ongoing seeking of God's face.

Notice the word continually. The psalm does not say, seek the LORD once, or seek him when you need something; it says, seek his face continually, always, as a settled and ongoing pursuit. Seeking God is not a one-time act or an occasional resort, but a continual orientation of the heart, an ongoing seeking of his face and his strength that does not stop.

That is a call worth taking to heart. We can treat seeking God as an occasional thing, turning to him in crises or at set times, but otherwise living without seeking him. The psalm calls for something more: a continual seeking of God's face, an ongoing pursuit of him that runs through all of life. Do not seek God only occasionally, or only when you need something. Seek his face continually, making the pursuit of God an ongoing orientation of your heart, always seeking to know him more, to be in his presence, to draw on his strength. Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his face continually. Let seeking God be not an occasional act, but the continual direction of your life.

Lord, David's psalm calls me to seek you and your strength, to seek your face continually. Make seeking you the ongoing orientation of my heart. I can treat seeking you as an occasional thing, turning to you in crises or at set times, but otherwise living without seeking you. Call me to something more: a continual seeking of your face, an ongoing pursuit of you that runs through all of life. Keep me from seeking you only occasionally, or only when I need something. Help me seek your face continually, always drawing near to know you more, to be in your presence, to draw on your strength. Let seeking you be not an occasional act, but the continual direction of my life. I seek your face, Lord; help me seek it continually.