As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1
Anything that makes us long for God is a blessing. Anything that makes us desperate for Him…anything that brings us to the end of our own resources, our own strength, and our own power—is a good thing. There may be something in your own life that makes you desperate for God, something that brings you to the end of yourself and causes you to cry out and say, “Lord, I have nowhere to turn but to You. I will seek YOU with all of my heart.” We hate suffering or going through discipline, but remember that discipline is God’s way of showing love for us. He only disciplines us because he LOVES us.
We get so tied up with our daily lives and the world around us. Think of your day to day life when you get busy; for me, I can get caught up with an early morning meeting, and I plan on spending time with the Lord… just later. Or I might be getting the house picked up, watching TV, or reading a book. I plan to sit down and pray, just later. I plan to do my Bible study… just not now. I forget to make God a priority. When life is on auto pilot, I am not as desperately aware of my need for the Lord as I should be. I once heard; “The Lord is too much of a gentleman to force us meet with him. He waits patiently for us to come to him.”
If I were to sit down and make a list of my priorities, of course the Lord would be first. But when I get into the hustle and bustle of the actual day, I don’t think I always live that. The longer I go without spending time or seeking God, the harder it gets. When I am in a routine and miss one day, I can pick back up. But what if I set him aside for weeks… months? How do I even start?!?! At that point it becomes a duty. I need to change my heart!
How would I look for a lost $100 bill? I would look all over. Lift up every couch cushion. Go through every drawer, and then look again. How hard would we look if our child disappeared in the grocery store? Wouldn’t we seek them with everything we have? Wouldn’t we reach out to others to help us find them? Why don’t we do that for the Lord?
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut 4:29
Stephanie Burns is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
Psalm 42:1
Anything that makes us long for God is a blessing. Anything that makes us desperate for Him…anything that brings us to the end of our own resources, our own strength, and our own power—is a good thing. There may be something in your own life that makes you desperate for God, something that brings you to the end of yourself and causes you to cry out and say, “Lord, I have nowhere to turn but to You. I will seek YOU with all of my heart.” We hate suffering or going through discipline, but remember that discipline is God’s way of showing love for us. He only disciplines us because he LOVES us.
We get so tied up with our daily lives and the world around us. Think of your day to day life when you get busy; for me, I can get caught up with an early morning meeting, and I plan on spending time with the Lord… just later. Or I might be getting the house picked up, watching TV, or reading a book. I plan to sit down and pray, just later. I plan to do my Bible study… just not now. I forget to make God a priority. When life is on auto pilot, I am not as desperately aware of my need for the Lord as I should be. I once heard; “The Lord is too much of a gentleman to force us meet with him. He waits patiently for us to come to him.”
If I were to sit down and make a list of my priorities, of course the Lord would be first. But when I get into the hustle and bustle of the actual day, I don’t think I always live that. The longer I go without spending time or seeking God, the harder it gets. When I am in a routine and miss one day, I can pick back up. But what if I set him aside for weeks… months? How do I even start?!?! At that point it becomes a duty. I need to change my heart!
How would I look for a lost $100 bill? I would look all over. Lift up every couch cushion. Go through every drawer, and then look again. How hard would we look if our child disappeared in the grocery store? Wouldn’t we seek them with everything we have? Wouldn’t we reach out to others to help us find them? Why don’t we do that for the Lord?
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut 4:29
Stephanie Burns is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
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