Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Christopher Catherwood

Book Overview

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."
-Psalm 27:4, KJV

The Psalms are treasures from those who earnestly sought the face of God. They are honest messages of sorrow, joy, praise, and wisdom from real people who experienced real struggles. In the psalmists' words we see their hearts...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581346751
• ISBN13: 9781581346756
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Crossway
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Seeking the Face of God, by Martin Lloyd Jones

A must read book... for those seeking to draw closer to God and get to know Him better in their walk with Jesus...

We need more preachers like MLJ

This book, which is a collection of nine sermons from the Psalms, was originally published in England in 1991 and published in America for the first time last year. Although many of the illustrations in the book are circa 1950's, I found Lloyd-Jones' assessment of Christian religion to be just as relevant today. I have a clearer understanding of God as a result of reading this book. A survey of the book's themes: ***Three common misconceptions about God*** 1. God does not exist The Bible counters this claim in Psalm 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, `There is no God.'" Humanity is dividing up into two great categories: fools and wise, with a person's placement being determined by whether they believe in God or not. Some learned, cultured, and knowledgeable people do not believe in God and some do. Likewise, some unintelligent, illiterate people from the streets do not believe in God and some do. Therefore, knowledge and intelligence cannot keep someone from being a fool if they have unbelief in their heart. Sometimes people are tempted to think that not believing in God is something new and novel, but Lloyd-Jones states, "There is nothing new about not believing in God; it is the oldest thing in the world to deny Him." A right response is to prove that we are wise by repenting of our unbelief. 2. God is like us This mindset is true today as it was in biblical times. Psalm 50:21 says, "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." This is a very serious matter because the people described here are not only outside of the church, but are also within the church. "There is nothing more awful and reprehensible than to talk about God and then to forget all about Him, and to live as if He were not there at all" (p. 42). In fact, it is the most terrible mistake that a human being can ever make because the consequence is self-deception 3. God's power is limited Being a Christian is a high calling, yet many people limit God's work of raising them to the heights of their calling. This occurs when people do not receive God's promises, believe them, and act on them. Another way to put it is we limit God when we do not enjoy His blessings. ***Six benefits of knowing God*** Martin Lloyd-Jones dedicates six chapters to showing the benefits that the godly life provides. These benefits come from knowing God and the knowledge of God can only be found at the alter of Jesus Christ. "The only thing that brings us into the presence of God, says the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is `the blood of Jesus' (Heb. 10:9)" (p. 45). Reading Martin Lloyd-Jones is spiritually edifying because every chapter ultimately points the focus on Christ's work for us. 1. Being known by God Religion is a question of knowing God and there is no way to know God except through Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Christ is the only place that we can find safety for our soul, "He has died to save your soul and will keep it safe through out all eternity" (