September 17 - Seek the Lord

It is so easy to lose sight of the Lord in our daily lives. When we live our lives without God’s presence, we are on our own in the world. Although God is everywhere as a general presence, we need to see Him active in our lives in a manifest presence. When God is with us, He can defend, protect and guide us. His love and power would be ours to access. That is why the psalmist calls the people to seek God’s presence.

Only those who seek the Lord can rejoice in Him because He can be found. When we seek the Lord, His strength would come with His presence, girding us up. We must seek His presence continually. Seeking the face of the Lord is to keep Him right in front of us, so close that we may behold Him. Christianity is not defined by a set of dead doctrines but a live relationship with the living God. When God’s presence is not in your life, you lose the awareness of the divine and would be cut off from the spiritual realm. Only God’s presence can give us strength to live our lives.

There are several ways to bring in God’s presence. These are what we can do to bring back God’s presence. The first way is to give thanks to the Lord. When we recount of the work of the Lord in our lives, memories can bring in the presence. We have to remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered. Secondly, we can call on the name of the Lord in prayer. God’s name, when called upon, brings in His presence for He responds to our call and come to us. When you feel alone and distant from Him, call out His name, call out the name of Jesus and He will come to you.

When we interact with others, we often speak of other things except things about God. When you want to bring God into the situation, you can also declare His deeds among others. You can praise God in front of others, telling them how great God is. Praising God is not just telling Him how great He is, but we can do it in front of others, especially those who do not know Him. Singing His praises immediately brings in His presence for He dwells amidst the praises of His people. The more you praise Him, the more you may sense His presence.

Do you feel that God is too far away from you? Do you feel alone in this world and without help sometimes? Are you in a spiritual drought, trying to find the Lord? The psalmist advises us to seek God continually, not just in times of need. It is good to have God go through life with you. When God’s presence is with you, you shall be happy and joyful. His glory shines forth from your face and others would be drawn to Him. Are you seeking Him today? Give thanks, call upon His name, sing praises to Him, tell of His deeds to others and His presence will be with you.