Psalm 105:4-6 (NKJV)
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth, O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
Did you watch the “Nascondino World Championship” back in 2017? Didn’t think so. This is the official hide and seek world championship for adults! Born in 2010 in the Italian city of Bergamo, it is held annually in Italy, in the summer. The game is a derivative of the Italian version of hide and seek, “nascondino” (hide-and-seek in Italian), and takes place on a playground in the open air, set up with artificial and natural hideouts. The seventh competition took place in September 2017, with 70 teams from 11 countries. Hide and Seek is mentioned in ancient writings as far back as the second century, but the Bible actually records the very first instance of the game being played…in the Garden of Eden.
On the heels of their fall from grace, Adam and Eve had become well aware of their sin and sought to hide from God, a ridiculous notion in the first place. God was kind enough to play along. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself” (Gen. 3:9-10). Thus began man’s on-going indulgence in the game of Hide and Go Seek, which always requires a choice; do you want to be the one who hides, or the one who seeks? In his commentary on Psalm 105, John Piper addresses this notion in light of God’s omnipresence:
Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence. But aren’t his children always in his presence? Yes and no. Yes in two senses: First, in the sense that God is omnipresent and therefore always near everything and everyone. He holds everything in being. His power is ever-present in sustaining and governing all things. And second, yes, he is always present with his children in the sense of his covenant commitment to always stand by us and work for us and turn everything for our good. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).
But there is a sense in which God’s presence is not with us always. For this reason, the Bible repeatedly calls us to “seek the Lord . . . seek his presence continually” (Ps. 105:4). God’s manifest, conscious, trusted presence is not our constant experience. There are seasons when we become neglectful of God and give him no thought and do not put trust in him and we find him “unmanifested” — that is, unperceived as great and beautiful and valuable by the eyes of our hearts (Piper).
Seeking is a normal part of our everyday lives and tends to be divided between the things we actually need—like food or water or rest or income— and the things we want or desire, like pleasure or entertainment or attention. But how often do we seek the face of God? How often do we seek His presence? Certainly not when we hide because of our sin, like Adam did, or when we neglect to reciprocate God’s constant love and companionship. This is exactly why God included 1 John 1:9 in the Bible: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We seek God’s face when we need to restore our right relationship, although through Christ we never stop being His children. But we also should seek God’s face purely for the pleasure and power that come from His company, as well as to worship Him for all He has done, is doing, and will do! “Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chr. 22:19). “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:1–2).
The old saying, “You are what you eat,” is certainly true, but just as true is the fact that you tend to find that which you seek! Piper concludes his thoughts on Psalm 105 by stating, “The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. “If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). And when he is found, there is great reward: “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). God himself is our greatest reward. And when we have him, we have everything. Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (Psalm 105:4).
