031 RIC Biblical Articles: Seeking Life – 1 Chronicles 16:11
031 RIC Biblical Articles Seeking Life – 1 Chronicles 16:11 May 22, 2025
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
Greetings, precious soul,
Today we pause to reflect on a song of praise by David, recorded in the biblical book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 16:8–36. This psalm was sung in honor of the Lord and was entrusted to Asaph and his brothers to bring daily praise to God. For this devotion, I have chosen verse 11 as the key verse: “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!”
The occasion for this hymn of praise was special: Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, into Jerusalem. Offerings were made, the people were blessed, and Levites were appointed to honor the Name of the Lord. Everything was centered on gratitude, worship, and remembrance of God's deeds.
And so we arrive at this psalm of David. Especially in a world full of distraction, busyness, and uncertainty, seeking God is anything but self-evident. The Bible is realistic about this. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 3:11: “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.”
The fall into sin has drawn our hearts away from God. Yet precisely in this text sounds a call: “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” That means: don’t live on autopilot, but consciously direct your heart to Him each day. What does that mean concretely? Let’s explore this verse and the surrounding psalm together.
First of all, this verse presents a powerful call to worship. The opening verses of the psalm call to give thanks to the Lord, to call upon His Name, and to declare His great deeds among the nations. It is a praise that is not passive but requires active engagement with God: giving thanks, singing, proclaiming, speaking, rejoicing.
For Israel, this meant keeping alive the memory of what the Lord had done for them. He had delivered them from Egypt, led them through the wilderness with a mighty hand, and proven His faithfulness. As also promised in Deuteronomy 31:8: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Therefore, the people are urged to give thanks to the Lord, to call upon His Name, to proclaim His wonders, and to glory in His holy Name. All of this flows from a heart that rejoices in seeking the Lord.
This psalm also reminds us of God's great deeds. In this song of David, we are given a brief review of how the Lord acted in the history of His people. He is the One who made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It's a covenant that is not temporary but everlasting, as we read in 1 Chronicles 16:18: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.”
God’s faithfulness to that covenant is a reason for praise and trust. For Israel, remembering God’s deeds was not a thing of the past, but a source of hope for the present. We too may look back on what He has done, so we may all the more expectantly seek His face. For the Lord reigns. It’s a universal call to everyone, as we read in 1 Chronicles 16:23–24: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”
The psalm proclaims that the Lord not only saves but also reigns. He is great, awe-inspiring, and exalted above all so-called gods. While the idols of the nations are nothing, it is the Lord who made the heavens. Strength and joy are in His presence; glory and majesty are before Him. These words carry a clear calling: testify of God’s greatness, proclaim His salvation among the nations. This too is a form of seeking God: not only in silence or prayer, but also in declaring His glory. This brings us back to the heart of the psalm, verse 11: “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!”
This is not a casual suggestion, but an urgent call. Seeking God is not a one-time act but a continual attitude of life. Jesus summarized this in the great commandment: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Seeking God means: living from His strength, through the way Christ has opened for us. For without Him there is no access to the Father, no forgiveness, no true communion.
Let’s be honest: how often do we truly seek the face of the Lord? How quickly are we distracted, busy, lukewarm, or relying on our own strength? The call in 1 Chronicles 16:11 strikes us deeply because it reveals what we often lack: continual dependence on God. But that dependence is not an abstract posture; it takes shape in a life that constantly leans on Christ. Only through Him can we seek the face of the Father. He is the Way, the Mediator, and the Source of strength. Turning away from Him always means relying on our own power. Therefore, true dependence means: living in continual fellowship with Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us, carries us, and leads us.
Paul already wrote it pointedly in Romans 3:11: “There is none who seeks after God.” With that, he reveals what sin really is: not merely wrong actions, but a heart that does not want to know God, does not want to seek Him, does not want to obey. The call to seek God therefore requires repentance; a turning from a self-centered to a God-centered life. Not in our own strength, but from the awareness that He first sought us. He seeks worshipers, not people who can save themselves.
Dear reader, hear then the call of this psalm: “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” God calls you to a life in which He is central, in which you daily seek His strength, hear His voice, and long for His nearness. Seek Him not only when you need Him, but because He is good, because His faithfulness endures forever, and because His Kingdom is coming. Let today be the moment in which you say again: Lord Jesus, I want to seek You. Not occasionally, but continually. For You have promised: those who seek You will find You. (cf. Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7). Amen.