Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! Psalm 105:4
RECOMMENDED READING: PSALM 105 “ O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.” COMMENTS: One think I notice and get frustrated with myself is how easily and quickly I get used to creature comforts and take them for granted. I know and notice such weaknesses are common with everyone, not just me. Well, that doesn’t diminish the sin of being ungrateful or indifference, which is evident to various degrees in me as well as everyone else. That is why God commands us countless times in scripture to be grateful and give thanks to Him who is the source of every good thing. A familiar hymn from many years’ past is “Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” Truth is doing this helps us notice and appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness many do for us and especially all the wonderful acts God does for us each and every day. Truth is, a miracle is no less a miracle if it occurs every day, just a more common and predictable miracle. It is no less a miracle that God creates and sustains live for each of us than to raise Lazarus or others from the dead. All are demonstrations of His love and faithfulness and great power. I can believe over the years after Lazarus’s resurrection his family and friends and all who knew him became less excited and some even indifferent to his story. They could recite every word. BUT THE MIRACLE OF HIS RESURRECTION WAS STILL LIFE CHANGING FOR HIM AND A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY OF GOD’S LOVE AND COMPASSION AND POWER TO EACH OF US. It still is.
Yet, we need His help to keep our appreciation and sense of awe and wonder fresh as we read and reflect on His mercies both past and present. The Holy Spirit is always ready and near and eager to help us do so if we seek and ask for His help.
Devotion time each morning, regular times during day, and a time also at the end of each day serve to keep those miracles fresh and before us and serve to remind us that we can trust and depend on Him for both small and big things. They also serve to remind us to seek those things we need more than those things we simply want or desire. Conforming our desires to match His desires is a vital part of growing in Grace and becoming more like Him too. There is so much more we need to discover about Him and learn from Him. So much more maturing in the faith we need to achieve. We are all, especially me, still so far short of His perfect example. That is not intended to depress or discourage us but to spur us to continue on quest to become more Christ-like in our actions and thoughts and conduct. Who we are when in private compared with who we demonstrate and show in public need to become more alike and consistent too.
God is so worthy of our worship and praise and gratitude. There is no greater or perfect hero or role model for us to strive to be like and admire. Children tend to copy those they know and look up too. Parents and teachers and even older brothers and sisters. Adults still do that but less obviously. They develop passions and goals and copy successful traits they see in others who have the same passions and goals. That is not a bad thing in and of itself but too commonly they and we place our focus on those unworthy of our admiration and affections. Those who are not worthy of our efforts to be like. They draw many into dead end empty less goals that do not satisfy nor are healthy. Goals that such life from us instead of giving life. Goals based on selfish – self-gratifying – goals that do not build a path to eternal life goals or aid in helping others on that path too.
But goals set by God and lining ourselves up with others on a path towards His goals are worthy of our focus and do put us on a path to eternal life. They also open doors for us to become worthy examples to others. But caution must be that there is only One worthy of being our example and hero. Only One who we should lift up and point others to as their hero and example. THAT IS CHRIST. When allow ourselves to be honored and admired, we diminish from praise that needs to go to Him and a more perfect example others need to focus on too. We cheat ourselves and we cheat others of the BEST!!
“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts “ A. W. Tozer
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