Psalm 103
1 John 3:2-3
Psalm 27: 7-8
How would you feel if a friend or relative contacted you only when they perceived themselves to be in an emergency, and as soon as they got what they wanted out of you, they disappeared. Would you feel used?
That’s how I have treated God for most of my life.
I have called upon Him during my times of need, or whenever I wanted something, and when life started going more my way, I was still interested in a relationship, but my regular scripture reading and praying gave way to other less God-centered activities.
What if we sought after God with as much determination and vigor as we pursue the next step in our careers, status, wealth, education, the latest Apple product, and social media? It would take just as much work, but it would be far more rewarding.
It starts with learning who God is. Creator of the universe. (Genesis 1:1) Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8) who also knit us together in our mothers’ wombs. (Psalm 139:13) He created us – everyone – to be in relationship with him. So seeking after Him doesn’t mean adding Him to our list of responsibilities. It means if we make seeking Him a priority, then the rest of our to-do list will be feel more balanced and doable.
Once we gain a better understanding of who he is and how much He loves us, we will experience joy just by spending time with Him rather than calling on Him only for His blessings, gifts or deliverance.
Psalm 27: 7-8 invites us to seek and pursue Him. “Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “seek his face! Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Ever since God nudged me last week with three teachings in one day via radio and television about pursuing God and authentic Christianity, I have been wrestling with my attempt in this matter. Pursuing God does not necessarily happen with weekly church attendance or serving on church committees. It would be ideal if that did happen, but for me, at the moment, it means writing these posts, which require a lot of time and thought. God is teaching me trust, discipline and faithfulness through these weekly posts because I’m not a Bible teacher or scholar, but I do have a yearning to know God better because of what He has done for me.
Yes, God most certainly does want us to draw near to him in a crisis, but I believe that He also wants us to seek him as we fold the laundry, clean up our dinner dishes and pay our bills. If we are trained in the discipline of seeking after Him in the ordinary, we will be better equipped to handle the crisis.
The best way to discover God is to steep myself in the Word. The Bible. The Scriptures. Genesis through Revelation. That is where He speaks. If the Word of God is like a serving of one tea bag, then I want to be a cup of hot water. Let me absorb the flavor and character of God into my being so it transforms me into his likeness. “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3: 2-3.)
Dear Heavenly Father: Thank you so much for your love, graciousness and compassion that I so often take for granted. Thank you for your unwavering presence in my life, whether I’m in a crisis or it’s just an ordinary day. Please instill within me a deeper hunger to know you better, and a deeper desire to serve you. Amen.