Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- July 23, 2011
“He [Uzziah] sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. 2 Chronicles 26:5
It should come as no surprise that success, as God defines it, comes from seeking Him. For the follower of Jesus, doing the will of God is the highest degree of success. As you follow God’s will, you are successful. Success is not something waiting for you sometime in the future. You have already achieved success if you are walking in step with your heavenly Father.
If you’re not in step with Him, you may have an outward shell of success, but inwardly and relationally you are a failure. Seeking God is a volitional and relational act. It is consciously and regularly seeking to understand your Creator. Seeking God is to know Him. Seeking God is to love Him. Seeking God is to praise and worship Him. Seeking God is confessing and crying out to Him. It is enjoying the comfort of your heavenly Father.
It is practicing the presence of Christ in you. You seek God at church, at home, at work, and with your friends. There is no place where He is not sought, other that in hell itself. What a privilege and perk for Jesus people, anytime, anywhere, and for any reason, to be able to seek God. Therefore, seek Him just as aggressively during the calm as you do in the chaos. Jesus doesn’t want to just be your crisis manager; He wants to be your Lord, who leads you into wise living.
The Bible says, “…seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
You cannot seek God in isolation. This involves the counsel and advice of those much the wiser—godly and mature believers in Christ. Seeking God involves validation from the wise. In danger is the man or woman who attempts to seek God without submitting to godly teaching, mentoring, and discipling from gifted leaders of the faith. You learn to fear God from those who fear God; you learn to love God from those who love God; you learn to forgive from those who forgive; you learn to pray from those who pray; you learn to serve from those who serve.
Seeking God comes from seeking the godly. Avoid hero worship. No one except Christ deserves this level of admiration. A wise way to understand God is to understand the godly. Hang out with those you want to be like. This is why church and community is vital to seeking God. You cannot seek God while not seeking out the right people.
Scripture teaches, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out” (Proverbs 18:15).
Seek God in His Word. The Bible is God’s anthology and it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Scripture is the first and last word on God. It defines Him, so it can define you. Know His Word, and you will know Him. Read it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Learn it. Above all else, apply it. Success is a result of seeking God. Therefore, seek Him more often than not. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). Seek God in the scriptures and you will be successful.
Taken from the July 23rd reading in the 365-day devotional, Seeking Daily the Heart of God.
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I totally don’t agree that everyone has to be around other Christians to worship, love and learn about God. Where I am right not, church is not an option and I get imput from other teachers through TV ministry, books, Cd’s and publications. It is unfair to say it is dangerous if I’m not in their actual physical presence as this is not a perfect world and this will not be the case or the option for all people. God makes everyone in His own way and as it says is no respector of persons, so keep that in mind as everyone who comes to Him comes as He calls. Perhaps church will be an option in the future, but as I said earlier this is not always the case. I am thankful that God has made teachers that are able to reach the masses in other ways then a physical church.