Seek The Lord
You will seek me
and find me, when you seek me
with all your heart.
and find me, when you seek me
with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
One of my sweetest memories
happened in the living room of my Grandpa and Grandma Suderman when I was about
seven years old. It was prayer time. All
around the room people went to their knees and began praying according to
age. Grandpa first. I listened to his tenor voice entreating God
for the safety of his family. Then I
just listened to his voice, as he continued to pray, One by one each family
member prayed. Curious, I opened my eyes
and found that all were facing away from me, hearts and minds centered on
God. No one was anxious or impatient
with the length of the prayers. I closed
my eyes again and tried to be patient.
happened in the living room of my Grandpa and Grandma Suderman when I was about
seven years old. It was prayer time. All
around the room people went to their knees and began praying according to
age. Grandpa first. I listened to his tenor voice entreating God
for the safety of his family. Then I
just listened to his voice, as he continued to pray, One by one each family
member prayed. Curious, I opened my eyes
and found that all were facing away from me, hearts and minds centered on
God. No one was anxious or impatient
with the length of the prayers. I closed
my eyes again and tried to be patient.
As time has gone on, I
realize that prayer isn’t a quick few words.
It is much more than this. Our
prayers are caught in heaven in “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8
realize that prayer isn’t a quick few words.
It is much more than this. Our
prayers are caught in heaven in “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8
In Revelation 8:3-5, And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden
censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the
saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of
the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of
the angel. Then
the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw
it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder,
rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the
saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of
the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of
the angel. Then
the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw
it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder,
rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
We seek God through
prayer. Prayer is not a passive
activity. Eugene Peterson writes in his
book, Reversed Thunder: The
sense of smell is associated with prayer. Prayer cannot be practiced in
detachment. Invisible and involving,
prayer penetrates and permeates.”
prayer. Prayer is not a passive
activity. Eugene Peterson writes in his
book, Reversed Thunder: The
sense of smell is associated with prayer. Prayer cannot be practiced in
detachment. Invisible and involving,
prayer penetrates and permeates.”
Seeking God is an active
pursuit. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from
your commandments! Psalm 119:10
pursuit. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from
your commandments! Psalm 119:10
Seeking
God through continual praise requires focus on His Word. It is difficult to maintain that focus in our
search for new ideas. My Dad and Mother
read the Word aloud every day. I thought of them when I read Revelation 1:3 – Blessed
is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those
who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
God through continual praise requires focus on His Word. It is difficult to maintain that focus in our
search for new ideas. My Dad and Mother
read the Word aloud every day. I thought of them when I read Revelation 1:3 – Blessed
is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those
who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
My Grandfather Suderman came
to visit. We sat in the dining room around
the table. We children were ready to eat
and rush to high school. Grandpa opened
his German Bible slowly and read a portion.
He then read the same portion from the English Bible. “I have read this scripture many times, but
now I have learned something new.” His
mind was focused not on what the day had in store for him, but in the Words
that God gave all of us that day.
to visit. We sat in the dining room around
the table. We children were ready to eat
and rush to high school. Grandpa opened
his German Bible slowly and read a portion.
He then read the same portion from the English Bible. “I have read this scripture many times, but
now I have learned something new.” His
mind was focused not on what the day had in store for him, but in the Words
that God gave all of us that day.
Is there an end to ‘seeking’
the Lord? You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in
you. Isaiah 26:3
the Lord? You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in
you. Isaiah 26:3
Seeking God takes wisdom and faith and
understanding and humility. Pride in
knowing brings tunnel vision and arrogance.
Humility brings to God a teachable heart and then we become a delight to
Him. Seeking God is a steadfast work that
takes a lifetime for each of us, and continues from generation to generation.
understanding and humility. Pride in
knowing brings tunnel vision and arrogance.
Humility brings to God a teachable heart and then we become a delight to
Him. Seeking God is a steadfast work that
takes a lifetime for each of us, and continues from generation to generation.
For the Lord is
good; his steadfast love
endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5
good; his steadfast love
endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5
When something is lost to us, we seek for days,
depending on the preciousness or need. We gird ourselves with time and the
mind-set of the big search. We don’t want to declare defeat. There is nothing
more frustrating than to find the object just where we looked before. We lose our ability to see in our hurried search.
Seeking God is the same, for when in a panic, we can’t see Him in all the
love-clues He places all around us.
There is a way to know we see Him as He is.
depending on the preciousness or need. We gird ourselves with time and the
mind-set of the big search. We don’t want to declare defeat. There is nothing
more frustrating than to find the object just where we looked before. We lose our ability to see in our hurried search.
Seeking God is the same, for when in a panic, we can’t see Him in all the
love-clues He places all around us.
There is a way to know we see Him as He is.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If
you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on
you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If
you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on
you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
Seeking God is a blessed way of life that fills
us with peace. We become more alive!
us with peace. We become more alive!
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky
above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and
night to night reveals knowledge. There
is no speech, nor are there words, whose
voice is not heard. Psalm
19:1-3
above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and
night to night reveals knowledge. There
is no speech, nor are there words, whose
voice is not heard. Psalm
19:1-3
The day I first heard these words, they were
sung. They were true before they were
written, and true now, and true forever.
Why is a troubled spirit calmed by flowing rivers? What is it that we see as we search the sky
in anticipation? Sustenance of rain, the
riot of clouds guided by the wind, or the appearance of Jesus the King? Why is it that artists paint over and over
the hills ‘from where our help comes’? Why are we drawn to the complex design
and many colored flowers that bloom in their season? Or the many species of fauna that populates
the earth? Or let us not forget the
faithfulness of the sun that traverses the sky creating a new day in a burst of
light and a stunning display of color as it says, :goodnight”. What about the
velvet night shimmering with stars, from many light years above the earth? All these ‘Declare the Glory of God!’
sung. They were true before they were
written, and true now, and true forever.
Why is a troubled spirit calmed by flowing rivers? What is it that we see as we search the sky
in anticipation? Sustenance of rain, the
riot of clouds guided by the wind, or the appearance of Jesus the King? Why is it that artists paint over and over
the hills ‘from where our help comes’? Why are we drawn to the complex design
and many colored flowers that bloom in their season? Or the many species of fauna that populates
the earth? Or let us not forget the
faithfulness of the sun that traverses the sky creating a new day in a burst of
light and a stunning display of color as it says, :goodnight”. What about the
velvet night shimmering with stars, from many light years above the earth? All these ‘Declare the Glory of God!’
“…For the creation waits with eager longing for the
revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:19
revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:19
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