Looking For His Face

Last night I was reading the good book and thinking, as I often do. If my thoughts were verbalized during these episodes, I might be diagnose with some sort of mental illness. Luckily for you, I won't dictate them all.

Among my reading, I was lead to Psalms 17. Read it sometime, it has some sweet verses.

I stopped reading after I read verse 15. Not only because it was the end of the chapter, but also because I was awed by it. It reads: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." 

What a thought.

God has no actual face, per se, but David says face because it's the most personal part of a person. If you put ten hands, all belonging to your friends, you could not identify what hand belonged to who. However, it becomes inevitable to match name with face. A face is the most personal part of a person.

We know God speaks, but imagine knowing the mouth that speaks. That is, the essence and fountain of his words. We know God hears, but imagine knowing the essence of His hearing. We know God sees, but imagine seeing back into His eyes.

Maybe his eyes are brown?

That is the intimacy that David pursues. The kind of intimacy where he would know the details of the most personal part of God.

This kind of intimacy only occurs in righteousness. This kind of intimacy occurs when there is nothing to block it. When our relationship with Christ is so pure, holy, and clear of distractions, that we have no option but to behold His face. His essence.

This perfect intimacy is not attainable in this world. There is too much of our sinful nature that clouds this kind of intimacy. But despite the smoke and our blurry vision, God still hears. God still speaks. God still sees. We must remove the smoke, whatever distracts us or gets in the way, for us to have a clearer vision.

I am sure we can all think of a few times where it seems like we were staring into the eyes of Christ. Last year in that camp during worship. That time you took an hour to just read the Bible and pray. Last month during the sermon. Everything was so clear for just a moment. God was so clear for just a moment.

David was consumed in his pursuits to behold more of this captivating essence. It is what would satisfy him. It is the only thing that would satisfy him.

Although we can't fully comprehend this now, it is not a reason to keep us from trying. Knowing God and doing His will is exclusively what should satisfy me. The boat, nice house, Audi, sweet suits, crazy vacation spots, concerts, movies, high paying job can wait. I have someone I need to get to know.

He is locked on you. Staring. Listening. Speaking. Waiting for a chance to hear you. Speak to you. Lock eyes with you.  Perfect love never knows distraction.

David was sharing in the verse before how people in this life are consumed by this life. They invest in this life, so they will reap it's finite and perishable benefits. They are okay with having kids, owning a boat to take out on weekends, and vacation every year.

David is not.

I think of Martha and Mary, in Luke 10.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, looking into his eyes, hearing words from his mouth as he taught. Mary must have looked like a kid listening to grampa tell war stories. She was captivated. She was knowing God; and His eyes were brown, just like she wished they would be. Martha was too busy to hear all the words, and maybe she locked eyes once or twice, but she did not experience intimacy with Christ because she failed to search him out. She failed to look for his essence. She was too busy.

As Christians we should crave for the intimacy that David longed for.

Look forward the the time where your view, interaction and relationship with Christ will be undefiled. Anticipate it to the point that you search for it in this life with fervor. Look for Gods face.

- Jerry