There are evidences of both seeking God's face and seeking God's hand throughout Scripture. Too many times we as believers are more concerned about seeking God's hand than we are about seeking God's face. Authentic worship would lead us to seek God's face first and foremost.
God's hand is always associated with God's actions in Scripture - whether it be for good or destruction. It is by His hand that His power is demonstrated. God's face is associated with seeking God in His fullness. Not seeking "a hand out of trouble" but seeking Him for who He is. When we are seeking God's hand we are looking for results, answers, or an experience. When we seek His face we are seeking Him for Himself, to abide in Him, aware of His fullness within us and His presence dwelling in us in glory. When we seek God's face we will feel the blessings from His hand in natural progression. But too many of us go straight for the blessing over the Blesser. We are more interested in the gift than in the Giver.
Second Chronicles 7:14 makes it very clear that we can't come face to face with God apart from 1) humbling ourselves, 2) praying, and 3) turning from our wicked ways. In seeking God's face we are seeking His heart and mind. We can only do that by coming clean before Him! He longs to have relationship with us, rather than our just looking to Him as a big Santa Claus with a bag full of "spiritual treats".
As we approach our personal and corporate worship let us hear what Augustine had to say: "Essentially there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy, the other is selfish. One is subject to God, the other endeavors to equal Him. One is friendly, the other is envious. One wishes for the neighbor what it would wish for itself; the other wishes to subject the neighbor to itself. One guides the neighbor in the interests of the neighbor's good; the other guides the neighbor for its own interests." Psalm 27: 8 says, "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, Lord, do I seek.'" In today's worship, the two kinds of people described above are simply the ones who seek God's hand and the ones who seek God's face (heart and mind). Which are you? mjm
