Is your face turned toward me?
Psalm 143:7
At the making of this psalm David was cast into some desperate danger; whether by Saul when he was forced to flee into the cave, as in the former psalm, or by Absalom his son, or by some other, it is uncertain.
But we can imagine that he was critically in need of God.
He said, “Hear me speedily, O Lord.” This is the tone of a man experiencing some kind of distress.
He said, “My spirit faileth.” All his strength was failing and failing fast.
If God does not come on the scene quickly, he fears he’s not going to endure.
Have you ever been there?
“God if you don’t come and help me now, I’m going under for the last time.”
Illus: I heard a story about a man who fell off a cliff. He cried out, “Lord, help me!!”
He heard a voice from heaven, “Just turn loose!”
He thought for a moment and yelled, “Is there anyone else up there?”
David was in distress! He needed God and he needed Him RIGHT NOW!
He was hanging helplessly, and there was no one that could help.
He cries out, “Hide not thy face from me!”
“Don’t turn your face from me!”
Illus: A story is told of a husband who had lost his wife and a daughter who had lost her mother. After the funeral some of the close relatives noticed the pain of the husband and asked him, “Do you want us to take your daughter away for a few days so that you can have some time to grieve?” The man replied, “No, we are going to face this together.” So that night as the father was putting his daughter to bed she cried out, “Daddy, it is dark in here, may I sleep in your room?” His reply was, “Yes, you may sleep in my room.”
As they went into the father’s room, he turned off the light, his little girl cried out again, “Daddy it is dark in here too.” The father said, “Yes baby, I know it is dark.” Then the little girl said, “Daddy it is darker than it has ever been.” The father replied, “Yes baby, it is darker than it has ever been to me, too.” In the darkness the little girl asked, “Daddy, is your face turned toward me?” The dad said, “Yes, my face is turned toward you.” She said, “I can go to sleep now.”
After the little girl went to sleep, the father who was in such despair at the loss of his wife fell down upon his knees and asked, “God is your face turned toward me?”
He heard a voice gently say, “Yes my face is turned toward you.” The father said, “Okay, I going to sleep now.”
You can make it through any situation you may face because the Father’s face is turned toward you.
It may be darker than it has ever been in your life, but guess what? The Father’s face is turned toward you.
You have asked, “God it seems you are a million miles away. I can’t feel you, I can’t see you, and it’s so dark! Is your face turned toward me?
Let me assure you that He has His face turned toward you today, and the darker it gets, the closer He becomes.
In Psalm 69:17 David said, “Hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.”
Verse one of this same chapter David said, “Save me O God: for the waters are come unto my soul.”
Verse two: “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing. I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”
It wasn’t just water that David was sinking in; he could have swum out.
But he was in deep mire and mud, and all his struggling was hopeless, for the mire just sucked him down deeper and deeper.
He said, “I sink where there is no standing.”
Everything has given away and all the support is gone.
Then he said, “I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”
His trouble was first under him, then all around him, and now it’s beginning to be above him, for he is sinking fast.
He continues, “I am weary of my crying, my throat is dried, my tears is all dried up, mine eyes fail me while I wait for my God.” Or, “I have cried until there are no tears left.”
Have you ever been there? Your troubles have just about overwhelmed you.
You’ve cried out to God and it seems He is not listening.
You feel He’s looking the other way, and His attention is upon something else.
You’ve cried out until you cannot cry anymore.
It seems God is ignoring your cries.
David said, “Deliver me from the mire, and don’t let me sink.”
Don’t let me go under! Don’t hide your face from me!”
In Psalm 69:15 he said, “Let not the waterflood overflow me…..”
The word “waterflood” is taken from the Hebrew word, mayim, and the word, shibbol meaning a flowing stream of water.
You have no doubt seen video of flooded areas where the flood waters are gushing in taking everything in its path.
David quite frankly felt that he was being overflowed with everything the devil could hurl his way.
But let me tell you something this morning. If you come here feeling God has turned His face from you, if you come here feeling overwhelmed by your troubles;
if you have been crying out to God, “Come speedily, O God. I’m about to crash! I’m going down for the last time.”
I’ve come by here this morning to tell you, He has not hid his face from you.”
His face is turned toward you today!
Is. 59:1 “Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is His ear heavy that He cannot hear.”
There are times when God may temporary turn His face from you.
Is. 59:2 tells us, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”
But He will be there when we turn our face toward Him.
Ps 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
It really doesn’t matter how dark it is for you this morning, for His face is turned toward you.
He sees every tear and He hears every prayer.
He is aware of how dark the storm clouds are, and He knows how hard the winds have blown.
If His eye is on the sparrow, His eye is on you!
You are His child, and He cares for you.
It may be darker than it has ever been before.
But God’s love will shine in the darkest of places.
Ps 80:7 “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”
When you call upon God with a sincere heart, and with genuine faith, He will help you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
Read Psalm 30
