Facebook or Face-in-the-BOOK?

I had to check my Facebook account; had anyone sent or posted anything new? How many have confirmed me as a friend on Facebook since I last checked? So, several times throughout the day I opened up my account and found a flood of comments, photos, and ponderings from people I knew. All of the information that was shared was helpful for me to feel a part of friends and family. And yet for each instance that I checked my account, one hour later I realized just how much time I had spent.

What I described above was just the first 18 hours of my Facebook account; and that included some time to sleep. And today, my account was inaccessible; what would I do with the time?

Facebook has roughly 700 million users, 6 million from the USA alone. And, for many, it is a great way to social network. I love the idea of instant connection; this can be a great tool in our lives. In an instant, we can connect into the lives of people we wouldn’t normally call or write so frequently. Most of the real world is checking their Facebook accounts on their mobile phones, while I am still using the old fashioned phone connected to a base located in my house (since I left my last place of work and turned in my cell phone).

I don’t need Facebook; not really, and actually put off setting up an account for several years. I saw Facebook as one account that I probably didn’t need; much like my Linkedin account which I have yet to ever check even though people request me to join them as a business friend.

I already get a multitude of emails each day and spend way too much time just using that as a vehicle to communicate; to say nothing of my use of Sykpe. And, if that weren’t enough, I write a blog at least once a week and spend time updating my website. And all of my places of communications are linked together, so all sites must be tweaked on a very regular basis. If you snooze you lose; or something like that.

I realized that I had a potential problem on my hands; I, too, could fall into the trap of having one more thing rob my life of time. One more excuse why I hadn’t spent as much time in prayer or worship; time spent with God connecting intimately as I had wanted to do. Even as I sit and write this blog I realize that once again I have been preoccupied by this social media.

I’m not making a blanket statement that you need to not use it and I don’t want you feel the need to defend your use of your preferred social media outlet. There are many things that take us away for time with God. But, when was the last time we were as consumed with time with God with our FACE in His BOOK?

King David wrote in Psalm 27 verse 4; “ONE THING I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: 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 inquire in His temple.”  Can we really say that and really mean it? Is that really the “ONE THING” that we desire?

He goes on to write in verse 8; “When You said, “Seek My face,”My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8)

Jesus summed up the whole law of God as to “Love the LORD your God with ALL of your heart, with ALL of your soul, with ALL of your mind, and with ALL of your strength…and your neighbor as yourself.” (paraphrased of Mark 12:29-31)

Can we really say that and really mean it; ALL of our heart, mind, soul, and strength?

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Let’s commit before God to give Him the best, the most of who we are. Allow the Holy Spirit to show us how things like this can rob our time with the only One who can bring us real life. And once again commit to spend time with our Face-in-the-BOOK and our face seeking His face. He, too, wants to confirm you as a friend in His “Facebook”, the Book of Life.

 “Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Psalm 105:4)

“So I came out to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.” (Proverbs 7:15)

“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved." 
 

Pleasing to you by Jared Anderson

Sanctify me
Clean out my closet
Take away anything
That is not pleasing to You

Purify me
Destroy all my anger
Wash away everything
That is not pleasing to You

I will be white as snow
I will be pure as gold
Jesus my heart must know
I'm pleasing to You

I give my life my all
Taking the cross I will follow
Jesus my heart must know
I'm pleasing to You

Sanctify me
You are the light to guide me
To the place where I am
Only pleasing to You

Oh come and Purify me Lord
I need your light inside me
So the darkness flees
And I can be pleasing to You

NOTE: For a Word Study on “The Book of Life” see Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 17:8, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:27, Revelation 22:19