“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
1 Chronicles 16:11
This verse comes from a section titled “David’s Song of Thanks,” in 1 Chronicles. It comes just after David set up a tent for the Ark of the Covenant to reside. The Ark of the Covenant was, more or less, a large, very ornate box that God commissioned the Israelites to build to be his dwelling place among them. The Ark was built in the time of the Israelites’ wandering in the desert before they reached the promised land. David made a permanent place for it.
When the Ark was placed in the tent, David appointed a song of thanksgiving to be sung. This verse comes from that song.
It’s a simple verse. It says two things: seek the Lord’s strength and seek his presence continually. The context of the Ark is significant in these things because for the Israelites, the Ark was both of those things. When the Israelites went into battle, they brought the Ark with them, and God delivered them victory. The Ark was where God lived, where the presence of the Lord existed. It’s where they went to offer sacrifices, to seek forgiveness, to be redeemed.
In David’s song, he instructs us all to seek God in these ways. Look for him when you need strength. Look for him in the midst of your battles and he will win the victory. But more than that, he says to seek God continually. Don’t just look for God when things are hard or its not going your way. Seek him always. He is our redemption, our forgiveness, and our peace.
Seek God today. Seek him and his strength. Seek his peace and his forgiveness. Seek his constant presence in your life. Because the wonderful truth is that because of Jesus, the presence of God is no longer confined to a box in a tent. It’s within you. The Holy Spirit of God lives in all believers and allows us to constantly be in the presence of the God that gives us strength, hope, peace, and all good things.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for the blessing that it is to live constantly in your presence. God, help me always to seek your presence in my life and to seek your strength in my times of trouble and weakness.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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