“Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? One who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to deceit, and has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face – even Jacob.” (Psalm 24:3-6)
I’m drawn towards this idea of being part of a generation that is completely characterized by its desperation for the Lord. This generation is not defined by its accomplishments, its personality traits, its political stance. It is defined only by how deeply it values fellowship with the Lord. And as a result, this generation is blessed with the righteousness of God.
We cannot achieve any level of holiness in our own power; it is gained through God’s grace alone. But there is one thing we must do in order to receive holiness: we must want it. We must seek God and in so doing seek the righteousness to which He calls us. In all circumstances we must look to Him for guidance, understanding, and peace. We must be willing to lay aside our own desires and take up whatever He asks of us. Instead of lifting up our souls to deceit, idolizing ourselves above Him, we must humbly offer ourselves as living sacrifices to His will (Romans 12:1). He can make our hands clean, our hearts pure. He can make us righteous, as He is our salvation.
It’s hard when I see how negatively the world often views Christians – as arrogant, uncaring, hypocritical. It’s even harder when I understand why they see us that way. So often I become frustrated with how we (myself included) present Christ to the world. With the ways we selfishly hurt those who need His love the most, or the ways we try to live by our own strength instead of His. The ways we define Christianity by manmade standards, or the ways we become so enamored by worldly pursuits. The ways we live without hope or assurance, forgetting to view life in light of the power and freedom we have in Him.
But I don’t want the Church to be seen this way any longer. I want the believers of my generation to be so full of desire for the Lord, so focused on seeking His face, that the world notices a change. What would it be like to break the cycles of sin, complacency, injustice, division, hate, and selfishness in the body of Christ? To take back the radical power that is rightfully ours in Christ, to take back our testimony from the schemes of the devil? Don’t we want to be this, the generation that seeks the Lord? I want that, and I know that God wants it even more. Let this be a reminder to us to not lose faith, to not settle for a powerless life, to not pursue worldly goals. Let us become the generation that seeks the Lord.
Related Scripture
Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Psalm 27:8
“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’”
Deuteronomy 4:29
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Luke 11:9-10
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
2 Timothy 2:22
“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Ephesians 4:22-24
“that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
James 4:7-10
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
The Girl that Jesus Loved 