Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
1 Chronicles 16:10-11 - Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
Psalm 9:10b - For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
I’ve found something out about myself and that is, I have spent a lot of time seeking to know people and for them to know me instead of seeking to know God. It is something that has consumed a large chunk of my Christian life, it would seem. In doing this I have allowed myself to be bound up by spirits of rejection, intimidation and frustration to name a few. This has cost me greatly in wasted time and energy. Realizing this I’ve made a decision, and that is, “I Want To Know Him, again.”
In order to know him I must seek Him. He promised that when I seek Him I will find Him, but it has to be with my whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) The problem is my heart has not been wholly devoted to seeking Him. In fact most of it was dedicated to seeking people and their approval. That has changed lately.
I want to know His voice so clearly that there is no question in my mind when He speaks to me. I want to hear Him speak to me ever so softly again, calling my name, giving me direction, creative concepts and yes, correction when needed. I want to be still in His presence and just listen and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10) I want to have some of those experiences that I’ve read in the bible and other current account I’ve heard of. When I know Him like that, then I’ll be able to lead others to Him. I found out it’s impossible to lead others where I’ve not been.
I had an opportunity to go to a woman’s event and one of the speakers reminded us of Jesus’ promise to us as our Bridegroom. He has gone to prepare a place for us His Bride, and He will return to sweep us off our feet. (John 14:2-3) She went on to say that Jesus is not like those guys that say they want to marry you and then change their minds when they find out something about you that they don’t like. He knew all about us, the fact that we would cheat on Him and yet He says “I’m coming back for you.” His love for us is unconditional; He is not going to change His mind, He is a Man of His word.
This comment has left me thinking that I’m getting ready for a Bridegroom I don’t really know much about, so I am on a quest to know Him. Her challenge to us was, instead of just reading His word and being satisfied that we accomplished that task that day, why not take some time to talk and actively listen to the Writer. We can sometimes rush read and pray and never connect to him, then we wonder why we feel so out of sorts and overwhelmed throughout our day.
I believe that this is a season where God is calling us to deeper intimacy and that will be difficult if we don't deliberately set some time to be quiet before Him. Carve out some quality time and connect with Him today. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6) There are great benefits to doing so. We can receive clear direction that will keep us on course, and He enjoys spending time talking and listening with us.
