Seek His Face!!!
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Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 27:7-14, Genesis 48; Matthew 17:1-13
Psalm 27:7-14 New International Version (NIV)
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Genesis 48:8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
Matthew 17
The Transfiguration
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
Today the psalmist, David, yearns to seek and see God’s face. His desire is to be in God’s presence and his confidence, despite his bad situation, comes from the Lord. And this is really all about what we are doing in the Daily Bread each day. We are longing to see God’s face and remain in Him, as we go through life with its daily challenges.
Then, in our Gospel in Matthew, the disciples get to see the face of God in Jesus in the transfiguration. Before their very eyes, they get a glimpse of the glory the Lord will have when he is raised from the dead. Peter is so overwhelmed he wants to build shelters (tabernacles) to contain the glory he has witnessed. But it is not yet time for Jesus to be glorified. There is work to be done, so they go back down the mountain on their way to the cross.
As Jacob nears the end of his days here on earth he longs to see Joseph’s face one more time. Though he is nearly blind, his reunion with Joseph is a tearful one. It confirms that the God of his fathers, Abraham and Issac, has kept the covenant promise and is faithful to them once again. And the icing on the cake is that he gets to see his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Similar to the theme we see many times, the younger one gets the blessing instead of the traditional older son. This confirms that God’s ways are often different than ours.
As we seek God’s face in the face of His Son, there will be times when we see Him in all of his glory. Other times, we will need to turn our face to the work at hand in following God’s will for our lives as we take up our own crosses. As we wait on the Lord, we can be confident that He is with us, as we seek to bring good in the land of the living. We carry this out knowing that one day we will see His face and be with him forever.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28
“God has not left himself without a witness in doing good - giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Acts 14:17
Creator God, you will not faint or grow weary of your people. Your love is endless and your provisions are bountiful. We joyfully give you thanks and praise for your goodness towards your whole creation. Amen.
Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 27:7-14, Genesis 48; Matthew 17:1-13
Psalm 27:7-14 New International Version (NIV)
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Genesis 48:8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
Matthew 17
The Transfiguration
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
Today the psalmist, David, yearns to seek and see God’s face. His desire is to be in God’s presence and his confidence, despite his bad situation, comes from the Lord. And this is really all about what we are doing in the Daily Bread each day. We are longing to see God’s face and remain in Him, as we go through life with its daily challenges.
Then, in our Gospel in Matthew, the disciples get to see the face of God in Jesus in the transfiguration. Before their very eyes, they get a glimpse of the glory the Lord will have when he is raised from the dead. Peter is so overwhelmed he wants to build shelters (tabernacles) to contain the glory he has witnessed. But it is not yet time for Jesus to be glorified. There is work to be done, so they go back down the mountain on their way to the cross.
As Jacob nears the end of his days here on earth he longs to see Joseph’s face one more time. Though he is nearly blind, his reunion with Joseph is a tearful one. It confirms that the God of his fathers, Abraham and Issac, has kept the covenant promise and is faithful to them once again. And the icing on the cake is that he gets to see his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Similar to the theme we see many times, the younger one gets the blessing instead of the traditional older son. This confirms that God’s ways are often different than ours.
As we seek God’s face in the face of His Son, there will be times when we see Him in all of his glory. Other times, we will need to turn our face to the work at hand in following God’s will for our lives as we take up our own crosses. As we wait on the Lord, we can be confident that He is with us, as we seek to bring good in the land of the living. We carry this out knowing that one day we will see His face and be with him forever.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28
“God has not left himself without a witness in doing good - giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Acts 14:17
Creator God, you will not faint or grow weary of your people. Your love is endless and your provisions are bountiful. We joyfully give you thanks and praise for your goodness towards your whole creation. Amen.
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