Friday, March 20, 2015

Seek and Find




“Ask and it will be given to you;
 seek and you shall find;
 knock and the door shall be opened to you.
” Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

               Ask “you have not because you do not ask God.”(James 4:2b) God wants us to ask for forgiveness. He expects us to realize our wrong doing. God, who is aware of our needs, from time to time wants us to bring our wants to Him.

               The act of asking implies two people have a relationship, one that is close or has the potential to be. However, when we ask God for anything, we have to accept that it will only be given to us if it is accordance to His will. We might not be able to handle what we think we can. However, he listens to us.

               Seek You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) The word ‘seek’ Implies an effort being put forth. Have you ever lost something—a precious piece of jewelry or a favorite book? We search high and low for it. It’s like we have to find it or we will not be the same.


                 Knock “to him who knocks the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:8 (KJV) refers to a person summoning the attention of another. We try to get another person to listen to our need, hear of our wants, or consider aiding or assisting us. When we knock on heaven’s door, scripture tells us we should enter in an attitude of humility and yet with a mindset of believing God will listen to our petitions and our intercessions.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Seek and Rejoice


“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.”
1 Chronicles 16:10 (NIV)


               King David committed the psalm (song) of thanks in which I found this verse. I have grown to love the section of this chapter(vv1-36). It is full of adoration and praise for Who God is.

               David tells his readers and listeners to “Glory in his name.” The Glossary in my Bible says this use of glory is to, “to worship and praise him for the qualities revealed.” (1)

               My favorite part of this verse is the next part. “let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” God rewards those who seek Him
By letting them see Him at work in the lives of others. The 10-year-old girl for whom our church has been praying, decided she wanted to get baptized. I heard she had 17 members of her family surrounding her on that day. The church service also included a healing service for her and her brother.

               When we seek God and strive to follow His ways, we may see events through His eyes. He blesses us in innumerable ways. I keep a log of His gifts, those praiseworthy deeds, to me. Toward end of February, I noticed I had quite a few more than I thought I would have. When I read this verse, I realize I have been seeking the LORD more.      

Monday, March 16, 2015

Seek First


“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
 Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
                
Seek Look for, search diligently for. We don’t have to search for things in the same way as our pioneer forebears. We go to the grocery stores and purchase our food. We don’t have to hunt for our meat, unless we want to.
               Seek first We must make our search for God a priority in our lives. If I don’t read my Bible and devotional source just after I awaken, I might forget. The day rushes ahead at a fast pace. If I have several things to do or other things come up. The day is gone and I haven’t spent time with God. I love the early morning time I spend with God.
1.) My house is quiet. I am not distracted by voices, the telephone, or the television.
2.) I am usually fresher in mind and spirit.
3.). When I have slept well, my mind is rested. My soul is calm.
4.) My thoughts are not rushed. I haven’t gotten into my day yet.

5.) Nothing is pressing.
6.) I can bask in God’s presence.
His Kingdom Several years ago, I wondered about God’s kingdom. I had been a Christian for several years. I knew the phrase, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I also was acquainted with the phrase, “God’s kingdom is within you.”
a.            But how did these thoughts relate to what His kingdom actually meant? A search of a Bible dictionary yielded the idea of His kingdom involved His rule.
b.            If God rules His kingdom, then He would have control over the hearts and minds of His children. He would guide them through their lives each day—each minute of their lives.
c.            We see this quality of God being acted out in a lot of people, but we also see it not being evident in others. People have to surrender their lives to Him before He can step in and guide them.

Have you ever wondered what our world would look like if all His created children would seriously seek Him and His Kingdom? I believe it would be a far better place than we have now. Don’t you? 


Seek Ye First

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...