Psalm 27:8
My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.
'Seek'. It's not a word we use much in everyday language, unless
we have children young enough to play 'Hide & Seek', or we’re reading a Harry Potter book! Harry plays 'seeker' in the Quidditch team. Don't worry if you haven't got a clue what that means! Basically, the Seeker's job is to chase after, and catch, a small, flying golden ball, to secure victory for his team. In one particular game, Harry struggles through a storm to get hold of the precious ball. Despite serious opposition, discouragement and pain, he kept his eyes on the prize because it mattered so much to him.
I think that's a bit like David in this psalm. When he seeks
God's face he is focused, deliberate, and diligent. He doesn't want his eyes distracted by anything else. It's not the half-hearted looking of a small child who is meant to be finding their shoes, who instead wanders aimlessly from object to object as something new captures their attention. Rather, it's the
relentless focus of a Quidditch seeker.
Why is David so focused? It's not because God is hidden and
David needs to discover him. David already knows his God, personally. Remember back to verse 1 ... God is his light, salvation and stronghold. David knows that God is beautiful (v4) and merciful (v7). This isn't Hide & Seek, with God lurking in the shadows and David trying to catch him out when he doesn't
want to be found.
Instead, because David already knows God, he reminds himself
that God is the most precious thing in his life. God is what David wants all his attention to be focused on. Otherwise, like us, he will be distracted by his everyday delights and troubles, and look elsewhere for the light, beauty, safety and salvation that only God can give.
Let's thank God today that he hasn't hidden himself from us,
but instead sent Jesus so that we could see him and know him for ourselves. And let's pray that we would 'seek his face' daily, with the enthusiasm and focus of a Quidditch Seeker!
