Looking off unto Jesus

Reading: Matthew 14:22-33; “Looking unto Jesus” by T. Austin-Sparks

At the beginning of this reading, it states Jesus “constrained” His disciples. This is to compel, distress, necessitate in Hebrew. Now Jesus felt this necessary to separate his disciples from the multitude. Now, I will not return into my previous statements about what I believe the waters/boat represent; other than saying bearing the cross – these disciples are separated by the cross of Christ, a stumbling block to the multitude.  Why was Jesus so perplexed, stressed? So much so, that at the end He had to be alone in prayer. Jesus had just sought to provide 5000 people with food. Five in the bible represents grace. Let us look at this story closer:

Mathew 14:14 – Jesus was moved with compassion toward the multitude. Are we burdened as He was when we look upon the multitude?  He saw this vast amount of people and he wanted to help them. He healed their sick. Even so Christ continues to have the desire to heal the “sick.” Those not only physically sick, but sick in their minds. Those hungry, those lonely, those depressed, those fearful – I could go on and on – the hurting. Jesus is in a desert at the time of this story. Jesus said, “Drink from me and ye shall never thirst again.”

The disciples say, “Lord this is a dry place with no food.” And they seek to naturally resolve this issue. Jesus says, “They don’t need to leave. The very Bread of Life is right here.” He tells them to bring the people to Him. Now, obviously, this was a day there was a famine of the word:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11)

If you recall, just a few chapters before in Matthew, Christ stated…

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

 Christ is literally the fulfillment of prophecies such as these:

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David…Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 55:1-3; 6-13)

As we read we should be in wonder of his grace. Look at the promises eating this Word entails! So, why does Christ leave this situation so burdened? Is it that they ate, were filled, and the disciples had to pick up leftovers. These people had their “fill” of what represents Christ, and stopped eating.

Then Moses told them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.” (Exodus 16:19)

Or, and what I am leaning towards, is the disciples lack of faith and how prone they were to see things naturally. Thus he says, “You need to go through a death of your natural man” and puts them on the boat and separates Himself a while. Knowing God will perform this work in them after interceding for them, He rests. We turn to the disciples, and what an uproar to their souls. We find them tossed by the waves (this word means bending, bursting). David said:

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
(Psalms 69:1-3)

Quick note: Is says the “wind was contrary.” We know the wind represents the Holy Spirit (John 3:8, John 20:22, Acts 2:2, Eze 37:9). When does Christ show up? He shows up when they are in the midst of the sea – there doesn’t look like much hope. They are so surprised to see Him now, they think He’s a ghost. Once again, this displays their need for growth in their faith; but He says, “BE not afraid.” Now, Peter had faith that He could be where Christ was through faith., but when Peter looks at his current condition and got his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. Jesus asks him, “Why did you doubt?”

This possibility of failure and missing the mark, of coming short, is related to our looking. It seems to me that it is all summed up in that way – looking. Backward look (like lots wife), looking around (like Dina) cares of this life, nearsightedness (here and now; dinner table), selfish look(me-me-me), and inward look (we can’t find God within ourselves.) We are to set our eyes upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. This race has already been completed in Him – we have only to turn our focus onto that and cleave to it.

“Our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17,18). 

“How busy the enemy is to circumvent the onward movement and the final attainment, by getting us entangled and compromised in this earth, somehow to slip in something that will be a check, an arrest, a hold-up. Oh, the spiritual tragedies all around by some foolish relationship, some entanglement, some consideration of convenience, some pandering to the satisfaction of the flesh, something somehow slipped in by the enemy; and there it is – you just cannot go right on to God’s end. Something is holding you back, some relationship is keeping you tied up, something has come in… Some of you may find yourselves in spheres and conditions where perhaps you will have many a temptation to accept something less, where it seems impossible to have all that you would like to have, where it seems that God’s full purpose cannot be realized: therefore you will settle down to something less and other. You may meet all kinds of things to divert you from the course of the on-high calling. The word to you is: “Let thine eyes look right on”. Remember your Lord, offered the kingdoms of this world and the glory thereof: He refused them and looked right on. Yes, He was offered an easy way out, a way out of the Cross; but no, He let His eyes look right on, He set His face as a flint. His eyes looked right on, and here it is recorded, as we read in the next part of the verse from Hebrews: “Looking off unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. He set His eyes on God’s end. May we have grace to do the same.” -Theodore Austin-Sparks

Life out of Death

Today I started by reading my devotional from TA Sparks: http://austin-sparks.net/english/books/002851.html

Before starting, I had to claim the cross against all the fleshy activity in my mind because it was still racing from work, which would definitely hinder my understanding of this complex excerpt. I got to his message really ministered to me. Especially a part speaking of Moses being chased by God as God sought to kill him. I know many look at this telling of events, and think what a harsh God. Conversely, I see the love of God in this. That He is so insistent He wants to work in Moses, that He will scare him into His will almost. That God will bring Moses to the end of himself and slay his flesh, that Moses can live up to his potential, and more importantly, purpose God has planned. A true, meaningful Christian will be marked by circumcision of the heart. They will have a line of alters behind them of things they gave up to follow God. Don’t believe me? You should study your old testament more. Do a study on the word alter. If a Christian is going to MEAN something for God, the devil will not stop or rest until he has used every measure to defeat said Christian. So, when I see Christians who have a life of ease, unmarked by the cross, pains, deaths, etc; I see a Christian who musn’t have counted much for God’s eternal kingdom. Do not get me wrong – this is me included! I read this and shudder! Am I counting for God??

Next I continue my reading of Matthew – today on chapter 12. I am trying to go slower lately and ensure I am grasping the meaning as much as God will reveal. Trust me this is tedious. I will read a parable or story I have read a hundred times, and insist that I break it down. I have not perfect this endeavor yet but here are things that stuck out to me:

1. Works on the Sabbath: God does not put religiousity before souls. Let me explain, when it comes to life and death, Christ did not nitpick at the Pharisee’s own dos/do-nots just to follow the status quo. Scripture had said it was legal for those who were hungry to glean from the corn fields. Believers were not to die on the Sabbath, just to follow the law. Christ is merciful and thus he healed on the Sabbath, he provided food to those hungry. We have been in times where God is sending us through a time where we can do nothing but rest in Him – does He not provide what we need during these times for us to live off of and go on with Him. Does he leave us to starve? No! Does he leave us unhealed? No! He provides healing on the Sabbath. Besides, He fulfilled the Sabbath with Himself- He is that rest to us. The man with the withered hand was without works – nothing to show for what he believed. Once again, here is a man who can do nothing of himself. He does not have the strength to accomplish any work EXCEPT through the healing of Christ. This mercy so frustrated and angered the Pharisees, they sought to KILL HIM. The Pharisees were individuals who were “Fair-you-see”? They were the white-washed, rule-followers who lived according to the book (or law). However, they were greatly lacking mercy. Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. We deserve death. We deserve humiliation. Shall I go on? Mercy is God delivering us from the judgement we deserve in regards to our sin. The Pharisees did not have this mercy. It was this giving of mercy to people who didn’t deserve it, that caused their anger. It is like the parable of the prodigal son. Upon his return, the brother had somewhat of a contempt, because though he had stayed and served, the brother was receiving mercy. I can admit that I have been this way. I have sought to follow God to the best of my ability, becoming rigid and religious and deeply indoctrinated in what I think is right; then a brother who is struggling seems to be shown more grace or mercy. How dare we? Our works mean nothing to God! Only what is of Christ stands and that is why it is easier for those who have been forgiven much to love much. They know they do not deserve it, but yet God provides mercy in Christ.
2. It moves on to say that Christ will not break a bruised reed or quench smoking flax. Once again showing His mercy. A reed is nothing special. It is EXTREMELY weak and easily broken. But He will not allow it to be broken. Those individuals suffering, He will not allow them to be crushed under despair. Smoking flax does not easily catch aflame. It just smolders and lacks heat ignition. There are those who would serve Christ but their flesh is indeed weak. He will set them aflame – He will instill that desire for God. He, right after, states the “nations” will hope in His name – meaning not only Jews (or those who “deserved” it; but the gentiles those cast off.)
3. He continues to heal on the Sabbath, bringing sight and speech to those whose demons had left them blind and speechless. How many Christians are with out spiritual sight and with no real voice? Then the Pharisees continue – hating him even more. Now, Christ is not only delivering those who don’t deserve it but those POSSESSED by the Devil – THAT is how MERCIFUL our God is! There is no one out of His reach whom He has called unto is purpose.  He remind them, that a house against itself cannot stand. If we despise fellow, weaker Christians we are destroying our own supports (think of pillars in a home – we bring them down and it all comes down) – a PART of US.
4. A tree is not judged by its looks. A tree is not judged by how beautiful and holy it appears. I would assume the Tree of Life (representing Christ) looked very dreary and not much to be desired (See Isaiah 53). On the other hand, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil caused Adam and Eve not only to lust after it but to give up EVERYTHING for it – It was alluring to the senses. A tree is judged by its FRUIT. NO matter how worthless or sinful a Christian may appear to the religious viewers surrounding them, a Christian is judged by their FRUIT – that that speaks of Christ: A testimony of live overcoming death. A seed must go into the ground and THEN (and only then [after death]) can it bear fruit. So again, as in my devotional, if there is not a sign of death and resurrection in a Christian – what is their purpose? Our purpose is to testify and have our lives speak of Christ. And what is Christ’s testimony? LIFE OVERCOMING DEATH. Do you not see now, why Christ became so angry? These Pharisees call themselves Christians but so hurt those less than them, who are struggling to believe. He says to them, the only sign He would give was the sign of Jonah. What is the sign of Jonah? Again, LIFE OVERCOMING DEATH. He went down into death – being typified by swallowed up in a whale. According to the world’s reasoning, Jonah was a dead man – Jonah was no more. But wait! Then there comes resurrection life and he is restored. Three days and three nights speaks of death and resurrection. This is a very basic concept – it obviously speaks of Christ’s death and resurrection. He remind the Pharisees that if they were there in Nineveh’s time, they would have condemned the Ninevites – but God did not – HE SAVED THEM (even though they did not deserve it).
5. Now before we sinners get excited and think – ‘Oh well since God is merciful, why not keep on sinning?’, Jesus speaks of the unclean spirit. Paul said: “But Law came in besides, that the deviation might abound. But where sin abounded, grace much more abounded, that as sin ruled in death, so also grace might rule through righteousness to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Let it not be! We who died to sin, how shall we still live in it?” (Romans 5:20-6:12) When we sinners are so graciously saved from sin, if we are to return to sin as a dog does to its vomit, we are disgracing Christ. And is a man is able to rid himself of a demon and “clean up the house” (get aright), if he goes out and continues in what he was delivered from, he invites worst sins to reside where his previous evil dwelt. The best way I have found to describe the continuation of sin after forgiveness and the shame it bring upon Christ is this: Hoseas wife. Imagine you were married to a woman. You loved her deeply. Then she goes out and cheats on you. You understood her past was of this sort and you forgive her. She comes back to you seeking forgiveness and with a renewed love. Then, she continues to go out and cheat over and over and over. Would this bother you? Would her obvious whoring around not bring you shame and destroy a testimony of what a marriage should be? Just so, we bring shame upon Whom we say we believe when we do not allow the crucifixion of our flesh.

That is all I will share for now, but please comment with any comments!

Paralyzed

So I’m going to start this one off with a rap lyric \, coming from NF:

“I’m paralyzed
I’m scared to live but I’m scared to die
And if life is pain then I buried mine a long time ago
But it’s still alive
And it’s taking over me where am I?
I wanna feel something, I’m numb inside
But I feel nothing, I wonder why
And on the race of life time passes by
Look
I sit back and I watch it, hands in my pockets
Waves come crashing over me but I just watch ’em
I just watch ’em
I’m under water but I feel like I’m on top of it
I’m at the bottom and I don’t know what the problem is
I’m in a box
But I’m the one who locked me in
Suffocating and I’m running out of oxygen”

And then I read this:

And entering into the boat, He passed over and came to His own city. And, behold! They were bringing a paralytic lying on a cot to Him. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed one, Be comforted, child. Your sins have been remitted. And, behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, This One blasphemes. And seeing their thoughts, Jesus said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? For what is easier, to say, Your sins are remitted, or to say, Rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to remit sins, then He said to the paralytic, Rising up, lift up your cot and go to your house. And rising up, he went away to his house. And seeing, the crowds marveled, and they glorified God, the One giving such authority to men.
(Matthew 9:1-8)

So often, individuals read over this chapter and the thought is, “Yes, God is mighty and powerful. Able to heal the sick.” I feel like there is so much more to see than what we see with the naked eye. Just as the leper represents the sinner, I think the paralyzed here represents paralyzed believers. Not paralyzed with physical limitations, but with the thoughts above that our friend Nate was feeling. Have you ever felt like that? I have. At a loss. Can’t move. Paralysis is “Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles.” Diseases that slowly progress can cause it as well as trauma. Now lets look at that in a spiritual light, knowing God is displayed in His creation.

There are some Christians that slowly become numb. Just like a disease progressing, they lose more and more feeling until they can no longer breathe and eventually die. Another way of getting paralyzed is shock from acute injury. I honestly have experienced some of both of these, but the latter much more recently. When I felt a loss, it was like the breath was knocked out of me and I could not catch another. I was stuck. Life had turned upside down and I was a loss for what to do, feel, think next.

This scripture is good to me. Jesus did not just say, “Get up and walk!” He understood this person’s condition, their pain, their willingness to move but the lacking ability. He knew the spirit was willing (I mean he had people bring him to Jesus) but the flesh was indefinitely WEAK. No! He didn’t just say “Get up.” He says, “Be comforted, child. Your sins have been remitted.” He provides comfort. He knows how we are suffering:

For we do not have a high priest not being able to sympathize with our weaknesses but One having been tried in all respects according to our likeness, apart from sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and we may find grace for timely help.
(Hebrews 4:15-16)

For in what He has suffered, being tried, He is able to help those being tried.
(Hebrews 2:18)

Lets remind ourselves of whom He is that we serve:

For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor magnificence that we should see Him; nor form that we should desire Him. He is despised and abandoned of men, a Man of pains, and acquainted with sickness. And as it were hiding our faces from Him, He being despised, and we did not value Him. Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain; yet we esteemed Him plagued, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each one turned to his own way; and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgression of My people, the stroke was to Him. And He appointed Him His grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death; though He had done no violence, and deceit was not in His mouth. But Jehovah pleased to crush Him, to make Him sick, so that If He should put His soul as a guilt offering, He shall see His seed; He shall prolong His days; and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul; He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge the righteous One, My Servant, shall justify for many, and He shall bear their iniquities. Because of this I will divide to Him with the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil; because He poured out His soul to death; and He was counted with those transgressing; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for those transgressing.
(Isaiah 53:2-12)

In THIS we are comforted: That CHRIST has remitted our sins. We need not be afraid of moving – terrified that we are going to do or say the wrong thing. Christ is capable -not only BUT HAS DONE IT – of cleansing us of not just sins, but sin itself. We can do all things IN HIM. We need not be afraid to move. BE YE COMFORTED. This man left walking! Oh, how those who are numb; those who are lost would be comforted if they brought themselves to THIS Christ.

Separation and Expectations

“If you present the high ground of God’s full thought for His people and the hearts of the people are really set upon having a work for God down here that is flourishing and prosperous and well-spoken of, you find that people are really, after all, only going with Him so long as He comes into line with their ideas and ambitions. But immediately that runs counter to thoughts more earthly, thoughts even in relation to Him, something deeper rises up. They are not going to have that. You have seen that many times; you must not touch their things. They say it is for the Lord, but you must not touch it; it is their own. If you are not coming to help their thing or things with your ministry or presentation, of course they won’t have it, and it resolves itself into this: they won’t have Him; that is not the kind of Lord they want. They want a Lord who is going to make their thing for Him successful down here. You can only know and discriminate between the true and the false when you yourself are on the higher ground. Perhaps you know something about that. The Lord may have led you on spiritually, He has led you into new realms, and you look back and see what your devotion to the Lord really amounted to before – very largely something in this life.” – T.A. Sparks

Going on with God, often means losing individuals related to this exact point. Often, people follow God – get in a movement – but are focused on the temporary. Likely much of their own works are involved and outwardly they look very righteous. The religious church system we see throughout our nation, that may have a positive outlook on the outside with acts such as feeding the poor, charities, and ministries, is largely something temporal. “Christians” have their eyes set on the here and now. God’s major purpose for eternity is not necessarily the hunger in these individuals hearts. That is why so often when these ministries fail, individuals lose hope. Their expectation was not in Christ but in the thing itself. I have lost individuals on this line. They were determined to have their God. They stumbled on the testimony of Christ. God does not change, and Christ work in the cross should be worked out in His people. God is not a cruel God; however, the cross is a necessity to bring us to the end of ourselves, lest we not seek God. If we have it within ourselves, where would be the need?

I have struggled with this myself, putting faith in a situation or even individuals which I felt God led me to. Unfortunately, I could feel myself trusting more in the gift that the Giver. For example, God may lead us in to a situation. But then we cling to the fact we know He led us there, and we may get stuck there when he is later drawing us on. We may grasp at the situation and say I musn’t leave it – God put me in this; not understanding that God is moving on from it. He has had his purpose in such a thing and it is time to move on, but we have made a religion out of this thing – it is now our creed. It is easy to lose focus of God’s vision and only see with our natural eyes and understanding. God is far, far above us in his ways, mind, and works. God help us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

Awesomeness of God

How silly we are to view the Almighty God with a conception of only the current state of time! Our problems, our past – US in general. What are we in comparison to God’s eternal purpose. Do not mistake my point – we are crucial to that purpose; however, God’s plans and ways are FAR, FAR above our understanding. We see our lifespan as something above our understanding. We are overwhelmed by the thought of the day of creation until the end of times – but Christ is far and above that. God’s purpose through Christ spans all eternity – from ages past to the never ending ages to follow ours. And God plans to express Christ to us for eternity, revealing His Son to those He has called according to His purpose.

And here we stand – at least me and my posts – with such a temporal standing. We are speaking of a God eternal, omnipotent. He has no end. We will, by His grace, learn of Christ throughout eternity! That thought is exciting and comforting to me. To know that through Jesus Christ, I have right standing with God and he will, not only through this life, guide me into knowing more of Christ.

If you are interested, this is what sparked my thoughts: http://austin-sparks.net/english/books/002767.html

In this message, Sparks mentions that our spiritual understanding is much like our natural understanding. When we are young, our perception is limited, we do not understand the vastness of the life we had. Small problems a child may have (not getting a candy bar) is a big deal to them – to an adult this seems a small thing (depending on the adult I suppose). Also, a child has a limited understanding of things. As we grow, we learn, we experience, things are revealed to us. It is the same way spiritually. We are led by our Heavenly Father to bigger and better things – at first they may seem beyond our understanding. It is like levels or climbing a mountain. Just when you think you can see the top, you climb and you find there is yet another level, and so on and so forth.

My point is God is so, so very far above our understanding and it is his awesomeness that leaves me speechless today – it is what comforts me when I have no comfort. I stand in awe of the God who is so far behind and before me. How can I be saddened thinking He does not know my condition now? How can my soul be cast down? Almighty God has called me according to His purpose and He will lead me in the way that I should go. Praise God for His awesomeness!

 

Pained to be Delivered

I write today frustrated – bursting at the seams. Last year, I lost someone. Prior, I had no true sense of death, or life for that matter. Everything was happy, go lucky. I have always been a deep thinker – trapped in my mind, if you will. I may talk a lot, but my deepest, most sincere thoughts rarely pass my lips. I used to think that I had suffered. I thought I had lost things. Oh, how naive I was. I cannot honestly say to my previous self, “You have no idea what suffering is.” For over a year now I am plagued. I am haunted. Life. Death. Heaven. Hell. Past. Future. Regrets. Decisions. Actions. It is like I am stuck in a pit and everyone around me is running freely, not stuck in the mire. I want to run like everyone else but I’m paralyzed to do so. I hate how everyone else can live such normal lives. I hate how they can feel that they have got it all and understand life. I was that person and, oh, how many I may have hurt than were stuck in the mire when I was running free. And now I still can’t help them because I am stuck as well. I know that I am free in Christ but objectively I have not gotten the victory. It is true in the spirit, yet in the flesh I am TRULY weak.

In the last year, I have had severe severs to my most intimate relationships. I have tried in vain to fill the gaping holes to no avail. I know that God is getting me to the place only He can fill that hole, and he has to break down my stubborn self to realize that only He can. Do not get me wrong, anyone that reads this. I have not lost my faith in God. Do I struggle with doubt? Fears? Unbelief? Yes! I would lie to say I did not. But I am confident that the one who promised will fulfill. He will not leave me. He will not forsake me, though others may. I do not know what the future holds. And to think on such, brings me to despair on how much life is bigger than me, and how very small my existence is. As David said, I am but a worm.  God is far greater than I can understand or comprehend and how dare I attempt to. If he leads me in a way, I am not to despise it. I am to praise His Holy name! The lower I go, ironically the more beautiful He becomes – and how His beauty haunts me in relation to what I am. I know that in Christ that is covered but oh how I struggle to come to the true realization of that. God help me! I know it is so, but I feel nothing at times.

“All who fear the LORD, praise him! All the seed of Jacob, glorify him! All the seed of Israel, fear him! For he does not despise nor detest the afflicted person; he does not hide his face from him, but he hears him when he cries out to him.” My praise in the great congregation is because of you; I will pay my vows before those who fear you. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him, “May you live forever!” All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD; all the families of the nations will bow in submission to the LORD. Indeed, the kingdom belongs to the LORD; he rules over the nations. All the prosperous people will eat and bow down in submission. All those who are about to go down to the grave will bow down in submission, along with the one who can no longer keep himself alive. Our descendants will serve him, and that generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and declare his righteousness to a people yet to be born; indeed, he has accomplished it!
(Psalms 22:23-31)

Let me praise the name of God with a song that I may magnify him with thanksgiving. That will please the LORD more than oxen and bulls with horns and hooves. The afflicted will watch and rejoice. May you who seek God take courage. For the LORD listens to the needy and doesn’t despise those in bondage. Let the heavens and earth praise him, along with the sea and its swarming creatures. For God will deliver Zion and will rebuild the cities of Judah so they may live there and possess them. The descendants of his servants will inherit it, and those who cherish his name will live there.
(Psalms 69:30-36)

Day 1

For quite some time, I have not been seeking God as I should. It has resulted in weakness, depression, loneliness, and being downcast. Instead of pressing on, I have been looking behind. So today I pick up my bible and I study this: Seeking God.

The truth is… (and this is all over the bible)… that Christians are not seeking God. Instead, they complain about why they cannot find Him. But the answer is so simple: they do not seek.

Deu 4:29 “If from there you will seek the LORD your God, then you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and soul.
Deu 4:30 “In your distress, when all these things happen to you in days to come and you return to the LORD your God, then you will hear his voice.
Deu 4:31 For God is compassionate. The LORD your God won’t fail you. He won’t destroy you or forget the covenant that he confirmed with your ancestors.”

What a great promise, that we do not seek after because it takes effort. It takes a letting go of what WE want and a looking to what HE wants.

1Ch 16:8 Give thanks to the LORD, calling on his name. Make what he has done known among the people.
1Ch 16:9 Sing to him, sing psalms to him, and think about all of his miraculous deeds.
1Ch 16:10 Find joy in his holy name; let the hearts of those who keep on seeking the LORD rejoice.
1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength. Always look to him.

 

Psa 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him!
Psa 34:9 Fear the LORD, you holy ones of his; for those who fear him lack nothing.
Psa 34:10 Young lions lack and go hungry, but those who seek the LORD will never lack any good thing.
Psa 34:11 Come, children, listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Lately, I often hear Christians complaining that they have not tasted the good of God; they only notice the pain, the things taken away, there is no note of goodness, joy, or love given by God. These are often young Christians who must be urged and made to follow after God. How dare we blame God! It is our own spiritual laziness holding us back from seeing the great glory of God.

Act 17:26 From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the national boundaries within which they live,
Act 17:27 so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us.
Act 17:28 For we live, move, and exist because of him, as some of your own poets have said: ‘For we are his children, too.’

How sad is that? That He isn’t even far! He just waits for us to turn to Him.

Jer 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a future and a hope.
Jer 29:12 When you call out to me and come and pray to me, I’ll hear you.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
Jer 29:14 I’ll be found by you,‘ declares the LORD, ‘and I’ll restore your security and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I’ve driven you,’ declares the LORD. ‘I’ll bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.’

We just need to call – to pray – to seek and HE WILL hear, find, and be found. Praise God!

Mat 7:7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you.
Mat 7:8 Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.
Mat 7:9 “There isn’t a person among you who would give his son a stone if he asked for bread, is there?
Mat 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, he wouldn’t give him a snake, would he?
Mat 7:11 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!

Mat 5:6 “How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because it is they who will be satisfied!