Seeking God the Creator

Amos 5:4-5 NKJV

Lord, while it is so easy to start putting more weight on the places or things in this world because they brought some good fortunes; but thank You for reminding me they are all but Your creation and I should always seek You, the Creator.

Ticket to Seeing God's Face

[S] Hosea 5:15 --
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.

[O] God awaits our confession of our status and seek Him earnestly as if a drowning person grasping for the lifeline.  Until that happens we have no choice but to wander and fall away from His presence, not because we actively choose to but because we fall into the whirlwind of the world void of God's presence which will sweep us far away from God.  During this time, we may feel like God is hiding away from us but as stated in this passage, He will return to His place and wait until we recognize of our guilt and begin to seek His face earnestly.

[A] I can get so used to living out a Christian life, I can easily fall into the mode of thinking I'm doing good enough.  I need to not excuse myself from seeking His face earnestly every day and that involves taking a breaking during the busyness of the workplace to lift up a prayer to God to seek His face.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for giving me the ticket to meeting You face to face -- my earnest prayer.  May I not take this for granted but use it often throughout the day?  Please let Your Spirit remind me and may my heart respond to the reminders.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Get In the Way of Jesus

[S] Luke 19:4 --
 ⁴So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.

[O] Zaccheus desperately wanted to see Jesus even from a distance so He figured out the path and waited for Jesus to come by there.  Being a tax collector, we can assume he was pretty smart and quick thinking.  Using his skills he quickly decided that if he cannot fight through the crowd to see Jesus, then he will wait for Him to come by up ahead.  In many ways, I say I want to see Jesus every day but that effort is crowded out by hustle and bustle of the day.  Learning from Zaccheus, I should try to go find a place where Jesus is going to pass by so I can meet Him there where it may be less crowded and I can have a vantage point of view.

[A] It doesn't take a GPS (navigation tool) to find out where Jesus is going to pass by in my spiritual walk because He used to go to a quiet place to spend the time with His Dad.  If I go ahead to my morning devotional place and time, I will see Him and He will invite me into His presence to fill me up with His strength.  Stop wondering why I cannot seem to meet Jesus; instead wait for Him ahead in my morning devotional.

[P] Dear Jesus, I desire to meet You and I've learned from Zaccheus that I don't need to fight what's crowding me out but to go ahead to a place where I know you'll pass by, to spend that 1-1 time with You.  Thank You for this encouragement to keep on seeking You through my devotional times.  In Your name.  Amen.

Prosperous Priority

[S] 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 -- ⁴He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 
  ⁵He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.

[O] This is what King Uzziah did following after his father Amaziah's footsteps of righteousness in the Lord.  I don't know what Amaziah did that influenced his son to follow after God (unlike many other successors we read) but at the age of sixteen, Uzziah dedicated his efforts to pursue after God's ways.  In verse 5, the key operands were "continued" to seek God, and "prospered" him.  This is the cause and effect of living out a life God desires.  He wants me to continuously seek Him while putting myself in the midst of a godly culture seeking after God's vision PERIOD.  Then as long as I stay on this course, God will prosper me.  This is not about being prosperous materially but about how God will use me to display His amazing power and presence.

[A] This message of continuously seeking God which leads to God's way of making me prosperous hits home for me especially now because my mind's been filling up with setting plans for raising and guiding my teenage children upright and also be successful in the society as well as how to lead the small group ministry at church to mature speedily to minister to the growing congregation.  In the end I seem to be relying more on my own plans and efforts rather than seeking God continuously leaving the results to God's ways of prospering me.  I am convicted to throw myself at Him and surrender the outcome of my children's' lives and the small group ministry.  With my children, I must hone in on how their hearts will focus on pursuing God foremost.  With the small group ministry, I need to work with one leader at a time to shepherd them on how each of them can seek God continuously in their own lives not worrying too much about how to "lead" their group members.

[P] Dear God, O please work in my heart, my children's' hearts, and the small group leaders' hearts such that they would desire You continuously like Uzziah did to receive Your prosperity in the own lives which will eventually germinate throughout their circles of influences.  Please allow me to not worry too much but abide in You!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.d

Let Them Find Him

[S] 2 Chronicles 15:15 --


All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.


[O] I am noting three characteristics on how "All Judah" south the Lord: 1) Rejoiced; 2) With their whole heart; 3) Sought Him earnestly. Then Lord responded by letting them find Him. I don't know how many times I tried to "find" God in my trouble times and yet I don't believe I had a pure approach as the Judah did here in this passage. I was seeking God more out of desperation and hoping to grab something. What I should have done is to rejoice in the covenant He gave me through Jesus, and then to approach Him with my whole heart by first surrendering all of my own ways, and then earnestly look for His grace. Fundamentally speaking, I cannot find God on my own unless He allows me to find Him. And He will only let me find Him when I approach with appropriate attitude.

[A] Before trying to find God, first remember to rejoice of the covenant He's made with me through Jesus Christ. Start every prayer with rejoicing/praising.

[P] Dear God, even though I get in to the mode of thinking that I can enter into Your presence whenever I wish like calling out my genie but the phrase from today's passage, "let them find Him" reminded me that I can only approach You on Your own terms and by Your approval. Please put in my heart the sincere desire to approach You and may Your heart give approval to my desire every time I come to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.