A Season For Seeking
Pursuit of God a Life-Changing Choice
The wonders of the word of God never cease to surprise my eyes, then arrest my heart.
Example? Recently, I took extra minutes with the matter of seeking the Lord. Time well spent.
How so? I was reminded how much God wants us to seek Him. Years ago, Professor Zane Hodges suggested in a Dallas Seminary lecture on the book of Hebrews that some of the greatest truths of Scripture will not be found “on the lower shelf.” Some climbing is required. The richer veins of truth are found deeper in the mine, so dig. Climb higher; dig deeper. C.S. Lewis so envisioned even our future experience in heaven to be a purposeful exploration: “Higher up, further in.”
So what are you going to do to celebrate the Lord’s birthday over the next 4 weeks? Why not make the choice to seek Him? To go find Him like you never have before.
HOW MIGHT I SEEK FOR GOD?
Truth is, the Lord longs for women and men, boys and girls, to go on a hunt for Him. He’s left clues all over the place which energize the search. So where should we look?
“The heavens declare the glory of God,” David sung (Psalm 19). When’s the last time you spent 30 minutes watching the sun rise, or tune an ear to the harvest moon shout your Maker’s splendor? “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have set in place,” the worship choir echoes (Psalm 8:3). Take a good look up. Seek a fresh view of the glory, artistry, and power of your Creator (Romans 1:19-20).
“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek His presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:10-11). Have you ever dug into the treasure of the name of God? Old Testament thinking insists that a person’s name speaks of a person’s character. What you call a person is what that person is. Most often, the true God is called “Yahweh Elohim.” Are you aware what each of words in God’s name means? Sought out their significance? And what does it mean that He is a combination of those two descriptors?
When you’ve searched that out, there are at least another 16 significant names for God in Scripture. You are challenged to hunt the treasures of His name!
But there’s more to discover. “Seek the Lord and his strength. Seek His presence continually.” The habit of living in the supernatural strength God provides. The developed rhythm of wanting His presence in everything you do, everywhere you go, every waking moment. Seek Him!
WHERE SHOULD I START?
If you’ve made the decision to seek the Lord, where might you start? Perhaps at an obvious place. Take a closer, deeper, richer look at Jesus, the Son of the Most High God born of a lowly virgin and her young husband in a stall just outside of Bethlehem. You’ll find him humbly wrapped in strips of cloth, resting in a manger. A few shepherds led the way as they came seeking the One of whom angel choirs sang.
Seek Him. Read about Him. Discover who He is, what He was about, why He came (cf. Luke 19:10, John 1:14-18). No one made the true God more clear or better known.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found,” urged Isaiah, “Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
‘Tis the season.