Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. — Psalm 105:3-4

Sometimes seeking becomes an urgent priority. Recently when I came home one evening, my wife greeted me with the words, “I have some bad news for you.” (A husband just loves to hear that!) She went on, “I lost a needle today. I think it is somewhere in the master bedroom…on your side of the bed. It might be on the bed, or in the chair where you read, or on the floor. I looked for it, but couldn’t find it.” Well, it was fine that she had looked for the needle, but I determined to find it. I wasn’t going to wait until I located it with my bare foot!

I went to the bedroom and started my search, carefully reaching down inside the edge of the cushion on my chair. No needle. I ran my hand gently across the cover on the bed. No needle. Finally, I went out to the garage and got a flashlight, then put my nose right down on the carpet while shining the light this way and that. It took a while, but at last a glimmer caught my eye. I had found the needle!

In our focus verses, the psalmist instructs us to “seek the LORD.” In today’s vernacular, to seek means “to go in search of.” In the original Hebrew, the word translated seek means “to inquire for.” Both definitions are appropriate, and in both there is a sense of the need to invest diligent effort.

We do not set ourselves to seek God because He is in hiding or trying to get away from us. In one sense, we are always in God’s presence because if we are His children, He has said he would never leave us or forsake us. We set ourselves to seek God because there are many distractions in the world around us. It is easy to get sidetracked by duties and details that occupy our time, and neglect the opportunity—the all-important necessity—of drawing nigh to God and communing with Him. The enemy of our souls will try to hinder us, and one area he will work on is our prayer life. However, we can prevail! We can seek the Lord with all of our hearts.

There is a great blessing in seeking God. The psalmist said, “Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.” Rejoicing is the natural result of seeking God—even if nothing visibly changes in the circumstances around us, God promises that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. Let us purpose today to find that spirit of rejoicing as we apply ourselves to seeking the face of God.

BACKGROUND

Psalm 105

No author is cited for Psalm 105. However, at least the first portion may have been composed by David as the first fifteen verses are also found in 1 Chronicles 16:8-22, the psalm David delivered to “Asaph and his brethren” on the day that the Ark of the Covenant was returned to the Tabernacle tent in Jerusalem. It is unknown if David wrote the remainder of the psalm. The psalm is in the form of a hymn, and was probably used in the Temple worship.

In this psalm, the writer demonstrated God’s faithfulness and marvelous works by narrating a historical account of Israel’s history from the time of Abraham to the conquest of Canaan. Verses 7-22 concern the patriarchs. God protected the patriarchs when they were few in number and “strangers” in the land of Canaan. When the psalmist said God “reproved kings for their sakes” (verse 14), he probably was referencing Pharoah (Genesis 12:14-20) and Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-16 and 26:6-11). Verses 23-26 describe the Israelites’ sojourn in Egypt; the “land of Ham” mentioned in verse 23 is a poetic designation for Egypt. Verses 37-45 focus on the Exodus from Egypt. “Not one feeble person” (verse 37) means that there were no stragglers; not one Israelite was left behind in Egypt.

The psalmist made no mention in this psalm of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. The question as to why God was long-suffering to such a rebellious people is found in the final verse: “That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws.” Pondering such great mercy led the psalmist to conclude the hymn with an expression of spontaneous thanksgiving: “Praise ye the LORD.”

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)
I.     Book I (1:1 — 41:13)
II.    Book II (42:1 — 72:20)
III.   Book III (73:1 — 89:52)
IV.   Book IV (90:1 — 106:48)
V.    Book V (107:1 — 150:6)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. In verses 1-5, what are three of the specific instructions the psalmist gave?
   
   
2. Much of this psalm is an account of notable ways God worked in Israel’s history. What is the value in recounting spiritual blessings of the past?
   
   
3. Our focus verses instruct us to seek God’s face “evermore.” In the original language, that word implies both “in continuance for an indefinite extension” and “perpetually.” What are some reasons we should seek God’s face continually and perpetually, even after we have an established relationship with Him?

CONCLUSION

As we give concentrated attention to learning, knowing, understanding, and communing with God, we will find ourselves rejoicing in Him.