Reading: Proverbs 8:32-36
Avidly seeking God is a matter of life and death according to this reading. We are commanded to listen and to hold close to instruction and be wise. When we listen, we find great joy as we progress through life's situations and hardships. We have a foundation that instinctively seeks God in all times when we train ourselves to follow His instruction. Falling on Him in those times of needing direction will result in great blessing and powerful work through Him. When we wait on God to come and lead us, we will find life. When we fail to wait on Him though, and take our own path, we will find ourselves lost and injured. We are warned that those who miss God love death. They won't find the joy that those who wait patiently in His timing will find. Remember this Proverb the next time you seek direction and instruction from Him.
Reading: Luke 11:5-32
This reading is pretty straight forward when it comes to seeking God. Jesus makes some pretty blunt promises in His words here. He says that anyone who seeks will find, asks will receive, and knocks, the door will be opened to. He reassures us 6 times, repeating it in different ways, as He knows we are a people of doubt. We have a tough time having faith in being blessed. But Jesus reassures us that we will receive, find, and enter those things we want or need.
Another hurdle we face as a human race is that of fear, wondering if what we receive will be good in the end. Jesus again, reassures us that His Father is good, comparing Him to our earthly fathers. If fathers on earth have enough common sense to not put their children in danger, or to give them what we need, Jesus tells us that God knows us way better than our own fathers, and will certainly be good to us, giving us exactly what we need, even before we need it. He knows what's down the road for us, and He prepares us to face the things to come. Maybe He'll give us a job that gives us the skills to take on a huge task that comes later in life. Or a child that will be gifted in areas their parents are not, so they can help their parents in that way. Whatever it is, we can be certain that God will take care of us, and give us what we need when we ask.
Another part of this reading goes into asking for the right things. The people demand a sign from heaven that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, but Jesus tells them they are asking for the wrong thing. He has already brought signs. Our motives need to be right when we go to God with requests. If we go to Him without the faith it takes to believe in Him, we might be shot down. I we go to Him, oblivious to our sin and not caring about making our lives right, the blessings may be hard to come by. Make sure you approach Him with a right heart when putting in your requests.
Reading: Deuteronomy 4:15-5:33
Our personal lives must always seek to keep God on top. If we seek Him wholeheartedly, we will find Him and live prosperous lives (4:29). We can't go about life seeking approval of others and thriving on their love when God's love is most powerful and consistent. We read into the Ten Commandments, reminding us of where we seek. The first commandments focus on putting God first, and the rest on living humbly and in harmony with others. When we seek, we strive to obey, and set our priorities straight. God cares so much for us that He wants us to live prosperous lives. Many times we confuse the rules as boundaries that hold us back from fun. But when we place rules on things, it's because we care enough about those things that we want to protect them. Parents with kids put down rules out of love. They don't wake up in the morning thinking about how to take fun away from their kids. They worry and love them. They want to protect them, and help them live prosperous, long lives. God wants e same for us. When kids obey their parents and refuse to show defiance, that show they love their parents back. When we obey God, we show love back to Him. Seeking Him and showing our love for Him will truly lead us in prosperous lives, full of God's blessing. Seek Him daily, and strive to pay back your love for Him by following His instruction.
Jesus promises us that when we ask, we will receive. When we seek, we will find. When we knock, the door will be opened. We need to strive to seek Him daily. When we have the right heart and motives, we will be blessed and live prosperous lives in His Name. Seeking Him is the best thing you can do.
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