Seek Right!

Seek Right!

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Isaiah 55:6‭ KJV

There is a deep mystery about time. With man, we count in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years, but it seems to be from God's perspective. There are times God seems to keep the time we keep, but there are times it is obvious that God is doing what He alone can do, and at his own time. Man will struggle to understand God's unique sense of timing, but it has never been God's way to pander to man's whims. He has a purpose in mind and a plan to fulfil and he is obligated to bring about his plan. He is God who fills all things in all ways, is present everywhere, knows all things and can do all things. As I pursue that which life offers, I must be clear about who God is and what He wants for me, so I don't end up labouring in vain. 

God wants me to seek Him, but He will have me do it on His terms. There is a time to seek God. It is not really about a particular day or month, but it is about a heart set on seeking to know more about God. When a man is hungry for God, he is not bothered by the inconvenience of time. Due to the unpredictable nature of time, what is the guarantee that any of us will see tomorrow on this side of earth? What if the Lord returns this morning? There is a time to seek God out; when He promises to be found by all who seek Him. It means that if I will find Him, I must seek Him the right way. If I am looking for him, just for daily bread, like the crowd at the feeding of the 4,000, I am getting only a limited experience of who God is.

If I want all of God, I must seek Him with all my heart. It also means I cannot claim to seek God and be okay with sin. I have to love and hate the things He loves and hates. If I call on Him with unconfessed sin in my life, how would the Holy One be able to look at me or hear me, except if my call is to confess and reject sin? He is near to all who are of a broken heart, who are truly sorry for their sins. Does this describe me? Remember, the time I have is not viewed the same way by God. My 100 years on earth is just a drop in the ocean of eternity. I must use time on earth the right way, focused on the right priorities, so that I can have eternal sorted out. God's time of favour is here.

Knock, Knock!

Knock, Knock!

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 KJV

Today's extract is usually quoted to people who are coming to Christ as Saviour for the first time. We quote this verse, telling them that Jesus knocks on the door of their hearts and wants to come in. This is very true; but it is also true that this verse was part of a letter actually sent to the church on Laodicea. It was not written to unbelievers, but to people who were once saved and at least knew the truth. Where do I stand: have I met this Christ, or have I become so familiar with Him that I do not know that I have locked him out of my life? Do I need to invite Him into my heart for the first time? Wherever position I am in now, I have either a decision to make or a position to maintain. It is to respond to the call of Jesus on my life. 

Jesus knocks. Pause and think of this: the Lord of all the earth, the Mighty God of Israel, the Creator of all that is seen and unseen, the One called the Lord God Almighty who can level mountains, stands at the door of the human heart, also created by Him, and knocks. He will not break down the door or force his way in; he wants me to respond to Him out of love and freewill. He is a benevolent dictator who brings me the power to reject or choose Him. That is great power, but with grave responsibility too. I get to choose the response but I have no power over the consequences. I cannot turn around and blame God for the consequences of my own decision, taken of my own freewill. 

The consequences for opening the door are laid out in today's extract. He will come in, sit with me, eat with me, and I with him. There is resource sharing with deep fellowship. There is access to all that Jesus is and gives. Eating with Jesus shows intimate fellowship, which is a foretaste of what is to come, at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Of course, the opposite is equally true. If I lock him out, he will stay out but I cannot blame him if things don't go according to plan. He can only protect that which is entrusted into His hands. Is my life in His hands? Is yours? God's time of favour is here. 

Guarantee!

Guarantee!

The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25 KJV

There are two statements in today's extract, and both of them are guaranteed truths. As it is with all of God's truths, He lays them down and invites me to come to him, believing that He speaks the truth. He is a God whose word can be trusted. With Him, time does not change his principles. What He called sin for Adam, is still a sin in our own days. The punishment and wages for sin then was death, and no amount of education, enlightenment, exposure or earning power can change those wages. He is a God with whom hypocrisy and pretence do not sell. Now that I know all of these things about God, what is my decision? How do I relate with this God, knowing all that He has revealed to me about Himself? 

What are these two statements? First, the fear of man is a snare. Why is this? That which you fear controls you. That which sits on the throne of your heart dictates your pursuits and priorities. Once it speaks, you leave all you do to attend to its dictates. Imagine if it is the fear of mortal man like myself that dictates my life's focus. Due to man's many inconsistencies, imagine how confused a man who fears another man will be. One day, you are asked to do this, the next, you are asked to do the opposite. Is this how best God would want me to live my life? The breath of God in me makes me unique; why would I sacrifice that for the applause or approval of men like myself? 

The second is that he who puts his trust in God is safe. This is the very opposite of the first. You cannot fear man and trust in God at the same time. I don't have the skill or expertise to combine both in the same heart. Trust in God is total, leaving no room for anything or anyone else. And like we have read, both of them have consequences. The fear of man is a trap, as you can never please everyone at the same time. With God, once I key into his will, I enjoy his peace, both down here and into eternity. What could be more precious than having both your earthly and eternal life sorted? That is the guarantee the fear of God gives. Which one rules your heart: trust in God or the fear of men? God's time of favour is here. 

Made!

Made!

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 KJV

The experiences of life on earth can make one wonder about the eternal. When I give my life to Christ and accept Him as Lord and Saviour, He does not take me away from the earth or shield me from the tough things of earth, but He plants eternity in my heart so I can focus on what is really important. He is called the 'God of grace', because it is only by His grace that we are even called in the first place. No man calls himself, and no sinful man is able to find his way to God without the help of God. He is the One who calls men to himself, planting eternity in their hearts while enabling them to make impact on the earth. The eternal God does not do temporary; everything about Him speaks of the eternal. Can that which is in my hands endure into eternity? Have I found and surrendered my life to that eternal God? 

Remember, only by Christ can I have the eternal sorted out. All that he allows to happen to me on earth only prepare me for the eternal. The tough times, tribulations and trials all work out that which is God's perfect plan for me. The suffering is always for a while, because the earthly phase is only for a while. I must not sacrifice the eternal because of the pressure of the earthly. God is the One who can pass a message with whatever mess is in my life. In his hands, 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish can feed thousands; in my own hands, that is just a regular meal for me and my family. In His hands, water can turn to wine or whatever needs to meet a need. If I can only surrender totally to God, there is no limit to the impact my life can make where it has been planted. 

This God can perfect whatever He starts. No man can complete that which he knows nothing of the origin or purpose. We can pursue a course of action and be successful, but visible success is not always a measure of divine approval. That which God ordains is that which He will sustain. He is the One who can make me perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle me. No matter the storms that rise, they cannot shift me from the position that God has planted me, because if He plants, no man can uproot. I check my life again today: am I where God's grace needs me to be? Can the supply from God reach me where I am presently planted? If not, it is not too late to change location. Let God do the settling; His message in and through me will speak loudly. God's time of favour is here. 

Come; Buy; Live!

Come; Buy; Live!

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah 55:1‭-‬2 KJV

The first step to getting help is to admit that I need help. The extract above speaks to a specific set of people: those who thirst. If you are not thirsty, this message may not be for you. If you are already filled and not in need of anything, this message may not be for you. It could also be that your need is not thirst, but something else. As long as you do not admit the need, it is difficult for you to recognize and accept the offer. However, for all who know they are thirsty and need help, the invitation by God stands. He asks me to COME. I must take the step; I have to get up and come. The place of satisfaction is also mentioned: THE WATERS. If I seek out help from other places, they won't give me the satisfaction that God's provision can. Too many times, we have allowed the world to prescribe options for us; we have alternatives but as long as these alternatives are not of God, they will never give you the satisfaction that your thirst really needs. 

Please, how would someone without money come and buy food to eat, or wine and milk? It would mean then that the currency to be used to buy these things is not the type the world can fake, invent or use. The provisions God makes available here cannot be accessed by bank account balances, circle of influence, high-level connections or even theft. The price for these things is not currency, but surrender. Surrender tells God that I cannot help myself; that He is all that matters, and His help is all that matters. Simon the sorcerer thought he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money; Peter made it clear that the Holy Spirit could not be bought for that kind of price. What my life needs can only be supplied  by the One who created me. That supply can only be nourished and sustained by the one who gave it in the first place. As I take stock of my life again, have I come to the place of surrender, or am I still struggling to 'pay' for that which my life needs?

Let it be clear: I will never be able to afford, on my own, that which my life really needs. The One who speaks here has all that my life needs. He wants me to listen to his offer, and take him up on the offer. That which he supplies is able to nourish and make me 'fat', because that which he gives will do my life good. When I take in that which he gives, my life reflects his imprint upon my life. There is no way I can hide his touch upon my life. He will not force me against my freewill, but He will do all He can to make me see that He has the best plans for me. After all, what can be better than an offer that does not require money? All men can get it, irrespective of status, position, race or history. It is a blank cheque to ANYONE: He that knows and recognizes his need. Are you that person in need? Come to Jesus today, and eat that which is good, both for this earth, and for eternity. Remember, the offer to man is not forever; a season comes when only those who have taken the offer will eat what is good forever. God's time of favour is here. 

Right Pursuit!

Right Pursuit!

He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor. Proverbs 21:21 AMPC

At creation, man was given the same nature as God - part of which is creative power. Man was given dominion over all that had been created, and all that man needed to exercise that dominion was given to him. Before sin, it was not really a choice; man by his nature, sought after God. God would come down in the cool of the day to talk with the man. There was unbroken and unhindered fellowship. Then, sin happened. Man was tempted to seek other things that was not God's perfect will for him to have. Since the fall of man, man has been pursuing all the wrong things. The world now seeks to change all of God's definitions into the perverted version. What the world calls success is not how God defines it. Man spends his entire life seeking after the perverted versions, and for the whole of his life, he wonders why there is no peace of mind. If it is not from God, it cannot confer you with peace. 

It is time to review my pursuits; what are those things that are taking my time, attention and resources? I have to know this one fact: the inner drives the outer. Whatever it is that takes my time and attention will be a reflection of my inner state. If all that drives me is how to better than my neighbour, that will define what I pursue. If what drives me is what pleases God, it will also show in the things I consider to be important. My heart is revealed by my pursuits and priorities. It must also be known that whatever the pursuits and priorities are, there are eternal consequences attached to them. It is not enough to just chase after anything; life is too complex to spend it in the pursuit of all that catches your fancy. God lays out the pursuits that line up with His will: righteousness, mercy and loving-kindness. These are the attributes of God, so I am simply charged to pursue after God. That is the life that God can bless.

For every pursuit, there is an end-game. God does not call me to pursue after him for nothing. There is an eternal gain at the end of the pursuit. There is a guarantee of life, not the kind that ends, but the one that goes on forever. Actually, life never ends; it continues in eternity, either with God, or away from God. There is no fence or middle ground here; you either running after God, or away from Him. Did you notice that what you get looks like what you pursued? If it is God you are chasing after, you will find Him; that is a guarantee. If it is the world that you pursue after, remember that the world cannot give you what it does not have, and it cannot also give you that which only God can give you. If I will end right, I must make sure that I am chasing after God. God's time of favour is here.

 

Faithful?

Faithful?

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 KJV

Is there any one who ever entrusted great riches and responsibility to someone without first testing and proving the person? Can we give sensitive posts to someone who is known not to have control over his/her tongue? It is both a spiritual and an earthly principle that a man must first be tested, and proven to be reliable, before s/he can be given resources to manage. When a man has not been able to rule his own house well, with his family honouring and fearing God, how would you expect such a man to be able to effectively manage the affairs of a community or society? 

It all starts from the little things. We must not despise the days of small and humble beginnings. We want the big stuff, but we have no clear idea what the big stuff will demand from us. We want the glory, but nothing of the gore that must come before. We crave the testimonies, but we want nothing of the test that must come before. How can I grow if I try to shortchange the process? How can I be all that God intends if I do not submit myself to His process? God cannot be mocked; I only get from God that which lines up with His principles. 

His principle is that I must be content with starting small. It does not also end there, but I must also keep my heart focused on the God who is able to turn the small into the massive. I cannot start in him, and then think I can continue on my own. That is why sometimes a man who is given a little is stuck with that little because he cannot be trusted with much. I need to ask: Does any of the above describe me? Only the Truth can show me to myself, so that I can take the right steps to correct what is wrong. Can God trust me with both the little and the much? God's time of favour is here.