The Value of Direction

"They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward. “Jer. 50:5

If someone asks how to get to Zion, why insert the words "with their faces thitherward "? Does it really matter in which direction their faces were turned? Oh, yes, it does. The expectation of a soul's search for truth depends very much on the direction in which he is looking. In Matthew's gospel, two questions are made concerning the birth of Christ. First, the Wise Men asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" Second, Herod "inquired diligently what time the star appeared." See the difference in the direction? The wise men were seeking Christ that they might worship Him; Herod was seeking the time that he might kill Him.

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” In the moments of your seeking, carefully consider the direction your face is turned. Is it toward or away from Zion? Direction makes all the difference in the world. Many so-called Christians ask the right question, but with their face turned toward this world. It’s like they know what they should be doing; it’s just that their heart is elsewhere.

The Psalmist had a twofold desire "to behold the beauty of the Lord, and “to inquire in His tabernacle.” Notice that the beholding of the beauty came first, the inquiry afterward. Do you see the direction? Dear ones, we must do the same. Meet Christ at the door of the tabernacle. Let Christ precede all. Let your gaze precede the finding. Ask by all means the way to Zions, but ask with your face thitherward.

 Can you say, “Lord, I have not yet reached Zion, but, Oh, my face is thitherward”?