So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God . . . 7 On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord: 8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! 9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! 10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! 11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 1 Chronicles 16:1, 7-11 NKJV

The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of the God, and in the Old Testament, the word for the presence (panim) of God is also translated as the face of God (2 Chron. 7:14; 2 Sam. 21:1). Thus, for three months the household of Obed-edom lived in the face of God, and God blessed them and everything that belonged to them (2 Sam. 6:11-12). The path of life for blessing and abundance is living consciously in the presence of God (John 10:10). Again, to live in the presence is to live in the face of God.

According to Psalm 16:11, in the face of God, there is fullness of joy, not partial joy, or joy intermingled with pain and suffering (John 16:24; 15:11). Further, the believer stands at God’s right hand—the hand of honor and strength, favor, and power (Eph. 1:20; 2:6). Moreover, believers are promised pleasures forevermore—not necessarily endless happiness, but that God would abundantly satisfy with fullness (Ps. 36:8). Every answered prayer, every Word of the Lord spoken to your heart, and every manifestation of God is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore.

What does it mean to live in the face of God? It is to live life with a consciousness of God’s ubiquitous presence; not living one way when you’re conscious of His presence and in an unholy fallen way during a mental lapse of consciousness of God. For example, in your human nature, you’re often on your best behavior in the face of one you respect, but you may be disrespectful of that same person when their back is turned. God never turns His back!

Jesus taught His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount that “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8). In the pureness of your heart and being conscious of living in the face of God, shouldn’t you feel fear and reverence? (Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Ps. 111:9). Wouldn’t you pray and worship Him? Wouldn’t your words and behavior show honor and respect? Would you still be a people-pleaser? (Mat t. 5:37; Rom. 8:8). To live in the face of God is to live with an uninterrupted consciousness of His presence; it is to set your affection (mind, mental disposition, consciousness) on things above. Not on the things on the earth (Col. 3:2).