The Lord commands us to "seek His face." Oh that all our hearts would answer as David's. "Thy face, Lord will I seek" (Psa. 27:8). 

What does this mean? It means that God desires all men and women to come into a personal relationship and fellowship with Him. It is to have communion with the living God. 

How is this begun and how does it continue? By prayer, seeking grace from the only one that can enable us to see God and live, the Lord Jesus Christ. We see God and His glory in the face of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 4:6). He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). It is He that must give us repentance and forgiveness of sins or we will never see God face to face (Acts 11:18). Our sins hide His face from us (Isa. 59:2). This is why David says in Psa. 27:9, "Hide not thy face from me" and "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me for thy mercies' sake" in Psa. 31:16. He wants the "Sun of Righteousness" to warm and enliven, not only his outward being, but his inward soul -- his heart -- that he might have a sense of God's favor and know that He is pleased with his manner of life, or heal him if He isn't (Mal. 4:2). 

Do you desire to speak with God face to face and behold more of His glory as Moses did (Ex. 33:11,18)? Then you must not be surprised if God is putting you into fiery trials as He did with Jacob. He is only keeping His promise to do you good and to sanctify you, body, soul and spirit (I Th. 5:23-24). He is conforming you to His image. He is refining His gold and silver (Mal. 3:3). The refiner only keeps the metal in the fire until he can see his face in it. Then he knows that all the impurities are burned out. 

We must learn to thank God in everything, because all things are for our sakes if we are His people (II Cor. 4:15). 

After Jacob's meeting with God he was humbled, wounded, healed, marked and given a new name -- Israel. God will give us that same name in the same way because now we are "the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16). 

We will be renewed day by day, and our afflictions will seem light if we with open face (with sin repented of and forgiven) behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord (II Cor. 3:18, 4:15-18). 

Oh Lord, make Thy face to shine upon Thy servants lest we die and be found unfruitful.