When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
The verse is God's invitation to seek His face, and the heart's answer is willing, prompt, immediate and wholehearted: Thy face, Lord, will I seek. The fitting answer is individual, turning to the Lord and to Jesus personally with full purpose of heart. To seek His face is earnest, living, trusting faith, trusting Him implicitly and alone, believing His word, relying on Him and on Jesus for counsel, and keeping petitions constantly ascending with increasing faith unto perfect trust for clear discernment in spiritual work.
God's call to seek Him is never in vain but carries His pledged word to answer, for He is able to do all things. He as Burden-bearer receives everyone who seeks Him by humble faith and gives the things they ask. Every true seeker is given sharp spiritual eyesight and a clear, elevated spiritual sense, so that he sees God and sees the salvation of God and gains clear discernment. Seeking Him is coming to know Him by experimental knowledge as a kind, tender Father who loves His sons and daughters and cares for their interest and happiness as a loving earthly father cares for his children, and who wishes all to know Him.
The religious feeling and conviction awakened in the heart is God's voice calling, and it must be recognized and obeyed with full purpose of heart. For those who are only half-converted, half Christians whose names are in the book of life, answering this call and turning fully brings full conversion. This alone cures the dead, lifeless condition of the church. Acknowledgment of God must be made when it should be made, and the invitation must be heeded now and not ignored. It is terrible not to make it then, and sad to humble oneself when it is too late.
The call is to the needy and suffering, and He will receive by humble faith everyone who seeks Him just as they are. Sinners who often err and are overcome with temptation must not stay away from the only One who can help and save from Satan's power. They must not try to make themselves better first or do some great thing to recommend themselves to God, and must not keep eyes on self while worrying and doubting His goodness and mercy. They must trust His promise that He accepts them now, break doubt and distrust, and come trusting themselves in His hands, for discouragement that drives them away from Him into despair is the enemy's work to bind them. The verse applies to prayer for healing of sickness and pain as a trial and test, for Christ is the Restorer against Satan the destroyer. Seeking His face means believing His word, praying with increasing faith unto perfect trust, and discerning the blessing hidden in every burden He lays upon His people.
Answering the call means the work of the Holy Spirit must be felt in the heart. He who is sought is ready to give grace and light to those who seek Him and turn to Jesus for counsel. Dependence on human help instead of divine counsel leaves the work marked by defects and lacking divine power. The whole psalm is excellent and should be placed in the reading and spelling lessons of classes as an object of study in schools, as meat in due season to the youth, because it was written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The verse is God's invitation to seek His face, and the heart's answer is willing, prompt, immediate and wholehearted: Thy face, Lord, will I seek. The fitting answer is individual, turning to the Lord and to Jesus personally with full purpose of heart. To seek His face is earnest, living, trusting faith, trusting Him implicitly and alone, believing His word, relying on Him and on Jesus for counsel, and keeping petitions constantly ascending with increasing faith unto perfect trust for clear discernment in spiritual work.
God's call to seek Him is never in vain but carries His pledged word to answer, for He is able to do all things. He as Burden-bearer receives everyone who seeks Him by humble faith and gives the things they ask. Every true seeker is given sharp spiritual eyesight and a clear, elevated spiritual sense, so that he sees God and sees the salvation of God and gains clear discernment. Seeking Him is coming to know Him by experimental knowledge as a kind, tender Father who loves His sons and daughters and cares for their interest and happiness as a loving earthly father cares for his children, and who wishes all to know Him.
The religious feeling and conviction awakened in the heart is God's voice calling, and it must be recognized and obeyed with full purpose of heart. For those who are only half-converted, half Christians whose names are in the book of life, answering this call and turning fully brings full conversion. This alone cures the dead, lifeless condition of the church. Acknowledgment of God must be made when it should be made, and the invitation must be heeded now and not ignored. It is terrible not to make it then, and sad to humble oneself when it is too late.
The call is to the needy and suffering, and He will receive by humble faith everyone who seeks Him just as they are. Sinners who often err and are overcome with temptation must not stay away from the only One who can help and save from Satan's power. They must not try to make themselves better first or do some great thing to recommend themselves to God, and must not keep eyes on self while worrying and doubting His goodness and mercy. They must trust His promise that He accepts them now, break doubt and distrust, and come trusting themselves in His hands, for discouragement that drives them away from Him into despair is the enemy's work to bind them. The verse applies to prayer for healing of sickness and pain as a trial and test, for Christ is the Restorer against Satan the destroyer. Seeking His face means believing His word, praying with increasing faith unto perfect trust, and discerning the blessing hidden in every burden He lays upon His people.
Answering the call means the work of the Holy Spirit must be felt in the heart. He who is sought is ready to give grace and light to those who seek Him and turn to Jesus for counsel. Dependence on human help instead of divine counsel leaves the work marked by defects and lacking divine power. The whole psalm is excellent and should be placed in the reading and spelling lessons of classes as an object of study in schools, as meat in due season to the youth, because it was written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.