Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:3-4 NIV
With these two verses, the psalmist directs the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to glory in the holy name of God and seek his face always. The text encourages the faithful to rejoice in the Lord. Beyond that, the words of this psalm encourage the faithful to trust in the strength of God, continually seeking his presence.
The Israelites glory in the name of the Lord for good reason. The Hebrew people knew the reliability of God. They honored him for delivering them out of captivity in Egypt. They praised him for his providence in the wilderness. God’s chosen people worshiped him under the promise that he would never leave them nor forsake them. God gave them the promised land flowing with milk and honey.
Those who rejoice get a feeling of great delight. Psalm 105 reminds the nation of Israel of the glorious way in which God promoted, protected, and provided for his people. It mentions how they left Egypt with silver and gold. The psalm reminds the descendants of Jacob that God covered them with a cloud in the desert and led them as a pillar of fire in the darkness.
In Remembrance of Me
This historical recounting of the exodus reminds Israel of their holy heritage. But more than that, it directs them to keep their focus on God. As Christ says at the last supper when breaking bread and sharing the wine in 1 Corinthians 11:24, “Do this in remembrance of me. WEB” It is important to stay directly connected to the source of our salvation.
When trouble is far from our minds, the providence, deliverance, and protection of God may be forgotten. And so, scripture reminds us to “seek his face always.” In good times and in bad, rejoice in the Lord. As Christians adopted into the family of God, the Lord is our hope and our heritage through Christ Jesus. We stay in touch with God through prayer and living the truth of his word.
Prayer: “Father God, you bring joy to my heart. Bless every believer as we seek your face always. Thank you for my salvation in Jesus Christ. Lead me away from the captivity of sin and toward the promise of eternal life with you. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Stand and Speak
