Ezekiel 39:29 “And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”
Seeking the face of God is earnestly longing for intimacy with God. Getting close to the Father of Lights will expose our uncleanness and secret sins. Gazing into His holy face will bring conviction. Isaiah went to seek the face of God. He wanted to have an intimate conversation with God when he saw the Lord seated on High. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5). The Lord God turned his condemnation into conviction, touched his tongue, cleansed and commissioned him as a prophet to the nation. Like Isaiah we presume that we dwell among cunning and canny people with unclean lips so we cannot live holy lives. A cynical spouse or sarcastic siblings are jagged instruments the Lord uses to shape us spiritually. Intimacy with God will change, shape and mold us to be like Him.
When Israel fell into idolatry and adultery God turned His face away from them. I will turn my face away from the people, and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure (Ezekiel 7:22). God’s favour and protection will be lifted when He turns His face away. Sublime glorious Holy God cannot watch over people who wallow in filthiness and profanity. However when Israel was cleansed of their impurities God turned His face towards them. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols (Ezekiel 36:25a).
Intimacy with God will keep the face of God shining on us. It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end (Deuteronomy 11:12). To have God’s face turned towards us we must have our face turned towards Him.
Seeking the face of God means to long for intimacy with Him:
1. Conviction: Intimacy with God brings conviction not condemnation. Shame, smirch or stigma is condemnation from the devil. The face of God will expose our wrongdoings but will never condemn us. He will pour out His spirit in us and liberate us. We will be convicted and corrected but not condemned.
2. Commission: Intimacy with God commissioned him as a prophet. Prophets are the mouthpiece of God. They hear from God and convey the message to the people. The unclean lips of Isaiah were sanctified when he looked into the Holy Face of God.
3. Closeness: Seeking His face brings us closer to Him. Most prayers seek the hand of God. When prayers are stumped with what we want we will only reach out to His hand but when our heart’s desire is to know Him we will see the Face of God.
The face of God brings us into close intimacy with Him.
Psalm 27:9 Do not hide your face from me; do not turn away in anger from your servant.
Prayer: Holy Father, I long for you and seek your face. Shine your face of favour and protection on me. Amen
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