I saw a familiar sign at a friend’s today: “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. So true.
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Ps 63:1)
But what does it actually mean to seek God? I found these definitions for “seek”:
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to be up early at a task (with the implication of earnestness) |
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to search for (with painstaking) |
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to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer) |
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to strive after |
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to tread or frequent to follow (for pursuit or search) |
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to follow relentlessly |
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to ask |
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to worship |
None of these sound very instant to me. They don’t sound particularly easy or automatic. It doesn’t sound like something I can swiftly check off my “to do” and pop onto my “done” list. In fact, it sounds like seeking might actually involve some effort. Bummer.
Christmas can be a joyful celebration of our close relationship with Jesus. Or Christmas may make us acutely aware that we we’re not experiencing much true intimacy with the Lord. We might have drifted away from that tremendous vital connection. Or perhaps we’ve never experienced the joy and power others describe. Do we really count ourselves among the wise seekers?
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. (Psalm 105:4)
Continuously? Really? It’s 2010. I’m busy. Can’t I just quickly “like” Him on Facebook and get on with my day?
Life in the 21st Century can be relentless. Our lives don’t stand still. Some of the built-in quiet of long ago is gone. Noise, busyness, technology, accessibility, pressures, demands and multi-tasking follow us 24/7, running interference and forming an unfortunate buffer zone between our souls and the Spirit. We may even be working very hard for God without walking with God. Quite a contrast to “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above. (“Come Thou Fount” by Robert Robinson)
Contrary to the late night infomercial, there’s no such thing as “set it and forget it” in our walk with Christ. Only by intentionally weaving healthy, holy patterns into my daily life can I begin to seek the Lord continuously.
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:33)
Familiar verse. Easy to memorize. Challenging to live out.
“Come Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace…” Tune my heart to sing Thy grace…what a beautiful, lofty, life-giving desire.
How I want my heart to sing God’s grace!
Christmas is all of grace. God the Father giving God the Son so that God the Spirit could live in us. Immanuel. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth…For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. (Isaiah 9:6, John 1:14, 16)
May God tune our hearts to sing His wonderful grace this Christmas, next year, continually…
Seeking Him,
Linda