Face Time with God

Thank you for faithfully listening to the audio version of Our Daily Bread.

I'm Matt Lucas, President of Our Daily Bread Ministries. Although the ministry has always been focused on making the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all, we have a renewed commitment to helping you develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus as you listen and read scripture with Our Daily Bread. To do that, we're making some changes to the audio format that we believe will encourage you to have a more thoughtful and reflective devotional time. You'll notice these changes starting the first of January, and we pray that they are beneficial as you read and listen and then reflect and respond to the message. Your friendship, prayers, and generosity allow us to make the Bible a vital part of everyday life for more people around the world.

Thank you. From your friends at Our Daily Bread, today's writer is Arthur Jackson, and the devotional that he's penned for us is FaceTime with God. When our son calls via video, the excitement gets ramped up even more.

My wife and I may be in different rooms, but her joyful holler reveals that she's getting a glimpse of Sophia. Seeing those we love from afar is now only a call or a click away. The ability to see the person we're talking to on the phone is relatively new, but FaceTime with God, prayer with a conscious awareness of being in His presence, is not. David's prayer in Psalm 27, voiced in the midst of opposition that required assistance beyond the capacity of the closest human allies, includes these words, Difficult times rightly compel us to seek His face, but that's not the only time we can or should be in face-to-face fellowship with the One whose presence is fullness of joy.

At His right hand are pleasures forevermore. If you listen closely, at any time you may hear Him say, come and talk with me. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 27, verses 7 through 14. Hear my voice when I call, Lord. Be merciful to me, and answer me. My heart says of You, seek His face. Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger.

You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me Your way, Lord. Lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. Would you pray with me now? Gracious God, we do thank You for the invitation to come into Your presence and speak with You face to face at any time of day or night. Would You help us to respond eagerly when You call us, not only in times of difficulty but in every moment of our lives, so that we may experience the fullness of joy and eternal pleasures that are found only in Your presence. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.