What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 16:11? Seek out the LORD “Seek out the LORD…” (1 Chronicles 16:11) • The call is active, not passive. David is urging the worshipers gathered around the newly-installed ark to pursue God Himself, not merely His gifts. • Scripture consistently ties genuine seeking to wholehearted devotion—“But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). • Jesus echoes this priority: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). • When God is the object of our search, He graciously lets Himself be found (Jeremiah 29:13; Hebrews 11:6). And His strength “…and His strength…” (1 Chronicles 16:11) • The verse moves from Person to power; we are invited to lean on what only God can supply. – “The LORD is my strength and my shield” (Psalm 28:7). – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). • Seeking His strength means confessing our weakness instead of masking it—Paul learned that “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). • This portion guards us from self-reliance: we search for divine enablement in every task, battle, and season. Seek His face always “…seek His face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:11) • “Face” points to relationship, presence, and favor. David’s own prayer models it: “My heart said of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, O LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8). • The adverb “always” (or “continually”) expands seeking from an event to a lifestyle—“pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). • To seek His face continually is to live conscious of Him at work and at home, in victory and in trial—“Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4). • The identical charge in Psalm 105:4 confirms that ongoing pursuit is a standing command, not a passing suggestion. summary 1 Chronicles 16:11 bundles a three-fold command: pursue the LORD Himself, depend on His power, and do so perpetually. Taken literally, the verse calls every believer to an intentional, reliant, and continual relationship with God—one that shapes priorities, fuels obedience, and keeps the heart anchored in His presence. |
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