Day 217 Returning Begins with Seeking

Returning Begins with Seeking

by Torrie Slaughter

📖 “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” – Psalm 27:8b (ESV)

🔍 Reflection

When God stirs a return—whether of a nation, a heart, or a purpose—it rarely begins with a parade. It begins with a posture. Psalm 27:7–14 is the posture of a person who is both desperate for God and confident in His response.

David’s cry in verse 7, “Hear me, Lord… be merciful to me and answer me,” mirrors the soul of every believer who has ever found themselves at the end of their own strength. But what follows is even more powerful: “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.” This isn’t just emotion—it’s obedience in motion.

In the book of Ezra, we see a nation stirred by God to return and rebuild what had been lost. But before stone is laid or altar is raised, a decision must be made: Will the people respond to God's invitation? David models that response. His seeking is not about answers—it’s about presence. He doesn't seek God for a fix; he seeks God for who He is.

💬 Key Insight:

Ezra 1:5 describes a divine stirring: “Everyone whose spirit God had stirred… prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.” The rebuilding didn’t start with bricks. It started with hearts that remembered God was worth seeking again.

David’s vulnerability in Psalm 27:9—“Do not hide Your face from me…”—is not a fear of rejection from a harsh God, but a longing to stay close to the One who has always helped him. It’s this blend of humility and hunger that brings transformation.

And then comes verse 14, the anchor of waiting: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.” The Hebrew concept of “wait” (qavah) carries the idea of binding together, like a cord wound tight with hope. Waiting is where restoration is forged. In waiting, we learn to trust the process God is stirring—even when we don’t understand it.

💡 Takeaway:

The call to return is more than a journey back—it’s a call inward. A call to remember who God is and what He’s spoken over you. David’s psalm teaches us that rebuilding begins with seeking. And seeking leads to strength, courage, and the kind of waiting that births revival.

You may not be laying physical stones, but are you returning to the presence of God with intentionality? Are you allowing your heart to be stirred again?

🙏🏽 Prayer:

Lord, I hear Your invitation. Today, I return to You—not out of routine, but out of longing. Teach me to seek Your face and not just Your hand. Remind me that You are faithful even when I feel faint. Stir my heart, Lord. Give me the courage to wait, to trust, and to rebuild according to Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

✨ Next Step:

Write down one way you will intentionally seek God’s face today—through worship, prayer, Scripture, or silence. Then, ask God to stir your spirit just like He stirred the people in Ezra’s day.