Tag: Seeking God

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1 Samuel Devotionals

Doing what seems good to me?

Prayer

“Do whatever you want,” the troops replied.

But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” (1 Samuel 14:36)

As I read those words, I thought about the message my pastor gave at church yesterday.

He was talking about bringing everything in our lives under God’s good reign. To not just do whatever we want. But to seek God and do what is pleasing to him.

That’s what Saul failed to do, and that’s why his reign ultimately collapsed.

It’s so easy for me to just do whatever I want. To spend my money as I please. To spend my time as I please. To do what seems right to me.

But that’s not living under God’s reign.

So the thing I think God is telling me today is that I need to seek him more before making my decisions.

Probably the one area that’s the biggest is my finances. To put all of that under his reign, not just my tithes.

To not just do what seems right to me concerning my money, but to seek out what is pleasing to him.

How about you? What is God telling you today?

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Matthew Devotionals

An amazing thought

Worship on a mountain

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. (Matthew 17:1-3)

Jesus, you personally took Peter, James, and John apart from everyone else to be alone with them. Why? To reveal yourself more fully to them.

Can you truly want to do that with me? That’s an amazing thought.

So like the disciples, I joyfully go off to be alone with you.

Like Elijah, I come to you seeking your face. (I Kings 19:8-9, 11).

And like Moses, I pray, “Show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)

Reveal more of yourelf to me, Jesus. I want to know you more.

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1 Samuel Devotionals

Seeking God?

1 Samuel

And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”

But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” (1 Samuel 14:36, ESV)

The soldiers’ words to Saul are very reminiscent to the Israelites’ attitude in Judges. In a time where there was no king, “everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” (Judges 21:25)

Now there was a king who was supposed to be seeking God (Deueteronomy 17:18-20), and the people told him, “Just do whatever seems right to you.”

And that was the problem with Saul throughout his life. He often paid lip service to seeking God, but sometimes he had to reminded to do so. (1 Samuel 14:36)

Other times he would start doing so and then give up on it before getting an answer. (19)

Even worse, like Jephthah (Judges 11:30-31), there were times where instead of seeking God, Saul sought to manipulate God by use of foolish oaths.

All of which makes me think: what is my attitude toward God?

When I’m making decisions, am I seeking him? Or am I simply doing whatever seems good to me?

Do I have a heart that seeks to manipulate him to do my will?

Or do I have a heart that seeks to truly serve him and do his will?

As God would tell another king years later,

For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

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2 Chronicles Devotionals

Seeking the Lord

2 Chronicles

As we read about the imminent attack on Judah, it’s hard to miss what Jehoshaphat’s response was.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him. (2 Chronicles 20:3-4)

Three times, we see Jehoshaphat’s response: he sought God.

He resolved to seek God.

The people gathered to seek God.

In fact, they came from all over to seek God.

How often do we do the same?

What does it mean to seek the Lord?

It means we seek his will.

It means we seek his help.

But more than all that, we seek a close relationship with him.

How often do we do that?

When we read our Bibles, is it just a habit, or are we seeking God?

When we fast, is it just a religious discipline, or are we seeking God?

When we gather at church, is it just a social club, or are we seeking God?

When we meet for our small groups, are we just hanging out with friends, or are we seeking God?

Let us not be like most of the people of Judah, who sought God in their time of need, but never really gave their hearts to him. (2 Chronicles 20:33)

Instead, let us be like Jehoshaphat, and truly seek God with all our hearts. (2 Chronicles 19:3; 20:32)

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Romans

But aren’t we exaggerating a bit?

Romans

I don’t think I can go on in this passage without addressing at least one major objection, that being, “Isn’t Paul exaggerating a bit here?

I mean…no one seeks God? I know many people that are seeking God. And no one does good? I know lots of people who do good things.”

Let’s take both questions one at a time.

What does Paul mean that no one seeks God?

We find the answer back in Romans 1, where Paul tells us that people rejected the knowledge God gave them concerning himself, whether it was the witness of creation, the witness of their consciences, or the witness of God’s written Word.

Instead, they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and while they said they were seeking God, they were following after things that were not gods at all (Romans 1:25).

In some cases, they followed idols. In other cases, they corrupted scripture’s teaching of God and started following a different Jesus Christ, a different gospel, and a different Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4).

“But I’m a Christian. I don’t belong to a cult or another religion. I started seeking after God and he saved me.”

That may be true. But it’s only an incomplete picture of what really happened to you. You see, long before you chose Jesus, he chose you. (John 15:16)

Long before you started seeking him, he was seeking you. (Luke 19:10)

The only reason you started seeking God was because he loved you first and started seeking you. He took the blinders off so that you could see your need for him and start going after him.

But had God left you to your own devices, there is no way you would have ever started to go after him.

No one seeks God on their own. They seek God because he touches their lives first. And if you take a careful look at your life, you will come to realize just how he did that.

What then does Paul mean when he says there is no one who does good?

Let’s put it this way. Imagine you make a cake, but instead of using sugar, you intentionally put in salt. When it’s done, the cake looks good on the outside, but is it edible? No. The only thing you can do is throw it out.

That’s what our “good works” are like when we have turned our backs on God.

Doing “good works” when all the while, you’re salting them with an attitude of rebellion against God makes those deeds worthless in his eyes.

Your works may look good, but your attitude of rebellion against God makes it impossible for him to accept them.

The prophet Isaiah puts it this way,

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

In short, no one is saved because of the good things they do or because of some inner goodness within them that sets them apart from other people.

We can only be saved by God’s grace alone, and we’ll see that more as we go along.

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Psalms

Waiting on God

Psalms

It has been said that when we fear God, we need not fear anything else.  And we see this so clearly in Psalm 27.

David starts by singing,

The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.  (Psalm 27:1-3)

Even in the midst of trouble, David’s first thought was not of his deliverance from his problems, but of seeking God’s face.  Of having sweet fellowship with his Savior.  He prays,

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  (4)

So often, especially in times of trouble, our prayers are, “Help me.”

But in times of trouble, David cried out, “I want you.  I want to look upon you.  I want to know you.”

Why?  Because he knew that if he put himself in God’s hands, God would take care of him.  He sang,

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.  (5-6)

I like how the NASB puts verse 8.

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

Here we see God calling out to us, saying, “Seek me.”

How often do we miss out on peace in our lives because we fail to do just that?  Instead, we focus on our problems and in the process become overwhelmed by them.

How much better would our lives be if we took our eyes off of these things, turned our eyes toward God, and said, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek?”

For though those around us may abandon us or let us down, God never will.  As David sang,

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.  (10)

Then after praying for God’s guidance and deliverance through his troubles, he proclaims,

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (13)

It’s so easy to say, “God is good,” when things are good.  But how often do we proclaim his goodness when things are bad?

But because David has his eyes firmly fixed upon God, even though things were rough, he could still say, “God is good.”

And so he tells us who are struggling as he did,

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  (14)

Lord, through times of trouble, help me to wait on you.  Help me to keep believing in your goodness.  Help me to remember that you’re always with me, though I can’t always see or feel you. 

Lord, my one desire is to know you.  Help me to hear your voice as you call to me.  And give me a heart that seeks you always.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Jeremiah

Great and unsearchable things

Jeremiah

I love verse 3 in this chapter.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Honestly, I need to do a lot more seeking of God in my life.  It seems like I say that a lot lately. 

Somehow, however, I find myself getting wrapped up in my life, and not just the important things.  (I’m wondering if I should say “important” rather than important).

I think of Jesus and his lifestyle.  Every morning he spent time with his Father. 

How much power and insight did he receive from those times?  How much more power and insight would I have if I did the same. 

I do spend time in the Word, but I do need to spend a lot more time in prayer, and in simply listening to him.  And the thing is, God promises that if we seek him, we will find him, and he will speak.

Of course, we all need insight into our lives and for our future.  But there is one great and unsearchable thing that I think we would all do well to remember:  God’s grace.

And that’s what this chapter is about.  It starts, though, with the judgment of God.  That because of Israel’s sin, judgment was coming.  Not exactly a great and unsearchable thing anyone wants to hear.

But then, he says,

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security…

I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 

Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth… (Jeremiah 33:6,8-9)

While speaking to the Israelites, much of this applies to us. 

Though we have been broken by sin, God brings spiritual health and healing to us.  He cleanses us from our sins and forgives our rebellion against him. 

He gives us abundant peace and security.  And we will be a people for his renown, joy, and praise, and honor among the nations.

How much would our lives be different if we would reflect on these things each day.  How grateful would we be to him?  And having received God’s grace, how would it shape our attitudes towards others and our lives?

But there’s one more great and unsearchable thing to remember:  The day is coming when Jesus will return. 

In verse 14-16, Jeremiah writes,

The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 

“‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch (that is, Jesus) sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 

In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.  This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’”

So often we focus on things that are temporary.  But if we would reflect on the fact that Jesus is coming soon, do we really have time to waste on things that are temporary? 

How much would our priorities change if we would remember that?