Devotional

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” —1 Chronicles 16:11

Reminders.  

We all need them. In generations past, people tied a string around their finger. Then someone invented post-it notes. Today, any manner of digital reminders, pings, and prompts can be set to call you back to an important matter. 

This precious reminder from 1 Chronicles is brief enough to be memorized—and yes, you should commit it to memory. But take note of the larger context. 

It was immediately after King David had set the Ark of the Covenant—the tangible representation of God’s presence among His people—into the tabernacle that he committed these lyrics to the song leaders…reminders to God’s children. 

If people living in the very shadow of the tabernacle needed a reminder to look to the Lord and seek His face, how much more do you and I need this gracious admonition? With all of life’s distractions and endless to-do lists, we must be intentional. Push pause; look again and seek Him. 

It’s easy to rationalize that we’re simply too busy to take a Spirit-refreshing break. That’s always been the case.  

It was Martin Luther who famously said, “I have so much to do today that I must spend the first three hours in prayer.” And the apostle James who promised, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). 

What’s on your agenda today? This week? Start in the right frame of reference. Pause. Look. Seek.

My prayer for this week: 

Dear Lord, you serve as a great example in that it is often said in Scripture, “He went away to a solitary place to pray.” Forgive me for neglecting what’s most important. Will you help me adjust my priorities so that I bring all these things to you first? I want to be a disciple living and walking in your presence—not just in its shadow.