What are you seeking?

Every year I go through my inbox and clean it out about this time before the next year begins. I look over all the emails that I received over the year and it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the past. This past year was full of some surprising events in my life. The loss of a friend, the marriage of my daughter, the completion of another semester of school, new acquaintances, and seeing God's provision through it all. We never know what to expect do we? We don't know what is around the next corner. It seems that the longer we live more difficult life can become. We suffer and we see family and friends suffer through illness, death, loss of job, or divorce. Everyone is affected. It is usually during these rough times that we look for consolation, escape, hope, and security. Some people find their security in man or a person, some find escape at the bar, some find it in false religions, and yes some think that they find direction in going to a fortune teller! Look around- palm readers are on every busy strip of city and they are staying in business- someone is going to see them. God is a jealous God and he doesn't want us to trust in or go to anyone but him. The Bible is clear about the occult; Deut: 18:9-14, NKJV

⁹ “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. ¹³ You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. ¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.

Several kings in the Old Testament acted foolishly. King Saul went to a medium when God wouldn't answer him; 1 Samuel 28:5-7

5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”
God didn't speak to Saul because Saul was unrepentant. Often when we have unconfessed sin in our lives we don't hear from God. Sin makes our hearts hard and indifferent toward the things of God. If Saul would have humbled himself before God- God would have restored him. Another king that was going strong to begin with was King Asa. He was strong to begin with and he even got rid of all the idols of the land, but then his heart turned toward man. He made a treaty with another king- without Gods consent, thinking that this was a good idea. (Man's wisdom, not God's)This is what happened;

⁷ And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” ¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time. 2 Chronicles 16:7-10

God disciplined him for what he did but he didn't repent from his sin and turn toward God for forgiveness.
¹² And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:12

I babysit my two nephews and sometimes the older one is such a stinker that I have to put him on time out. He hates this and many times he will come out of time out pouting and unrepentant. This is human nature when we are disciplined and get into trouble! We hate it. But its because God loves us so much that he does it and he wants us to keep continually seeking him for comfort, direction, peace, security, forgiveness, and his everlasting love.

Notice the promise in the above passage; For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

God is looking for people he can use- he wants to give you the strength to do his work- only our hearts need to be loyal and committed to following Him wholeheartedly.

So who or what are you relying on? "What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 31:1
 
Luke 12:31 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.


Blessings to you this next year as you grow closer to our Savior, Christ Jesus.