#seeking god

[walkswithmyfather]

Psalm 27:4 (NIV). [4] “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

Psalm 63:1 (NIV). [1] “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

“Seek the Lord” By In Touch Ministries:

“A close relationship with the Lord is built by dedicating time to spend with Him—day by day, year by year.”

“A close relationship with the Lord doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires continual, deliberate decisions to pursue Him. Intimacy can’t be achieved in an inspiring weekend conference, nor can it be accomplished by reading a chapter or two of the Bible and praying indifferently. Seeking God is a lifetime commitment—day by day, year by year.

Too many believers are satisfied to have a shallow, superficial relationship with the Lord. They’ll approach God for relief from suffering or fulfillment of other needs but are unwilling to sit quietly for an extended period of time just getting to know Him through prayer and His Word. Yet the most important pursuit in a believer’s life is building a relationship with God. (See Ps. 27:4.) To forfeit this great blessing is a tragedy.

God doesn’t need anything from you, but He desires your loving devotion and intimate fellowship. Ask yourself, Is this what I want, too? If your answer is yes, are you willing to make the necessary commitment? Seeking the Lord cannot be something you hurry through or approach casually (Psalm 63:1). It will cost you time and effort, but the rewards are worth any sacrifice.”

[Photo thanks to Mohamed Nohassi at Unsplash]

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Prayer for Restoration

Turn us back, O Jehovah, to thee, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. — Lamentations 5:21 | Smith's Literal Translation (SMITH) The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally From The Original Tongues by Julia E. Smith. Cross References: Psalm 80:3; Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 31:18-19; Hosea 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 3:7

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Thoughts on Today's Verse When these words were first spoken, the prophet and his people were focused on God's restoration of Israel back to their place in Judea, their prominence in the world of nations, their beauty in daily life, and their worship and security in the Temple of the Lord. From our vantage point, this prayer can be our prayer as well. Restoration can mean Christ's return, which brings us home to God. On that day, every barrier standing between God and us will fall. Our mortality will be swallowed up in victory. We will see God face to face and walk with him in the cool of the day as his perfect children. Maranatha — O Lord come (1 Corinthians 16:22-24 NRSV). And may that day come soon!

The Thoughts on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

[your-heart-is-a-treasure]

Everything gets a little clearer, the closer you get to God.

[iamnotcoolenough]

I won't lie I've gotten into debates with people over misconceptions of the bible and often I am told "well you must be part of "God's" chosen people, and only they can understand the bible." And that's not verbatim but pretty much what they like to say at me and recently something popped I to my head regarding this.

Matthew 11:15

"Whosoever has ears, let them hear."

I don't pretend to understand even a fraction of what the bible means. Sometimes it's hard to sit through (lookin at you the numbers and the later half of genesis haha). But there are verses and things that stick out and understanding rains down like a warm hug upon my head. And that's awesome it's like a lil light bulb moment.

And with that said let me explain what was revealed to me.

"Whosoever has ears, let them hear."

Yes, let them hear the word of the Lord, but it also means let all those who are willing and wanting to not only listen but to understand.

James 1:5-8 "5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

Meaning if you don't look in faith and don't look for God and look only for youurself you will find nothing but words that aggravate you. You will see a cage and a rule book you don't want to abide by. You will get the world and lose your life. James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." And with out God we are dead. John 15:5 "5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." And further in Ephesians 2:1-10: "1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Without God sending Jesus down we would be dead in a grave and doomed to eternity in hell. So if we look for the Lord in faith, we will find him.

Jeremiah 29:13

"13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

[dbcjr3]

It’s deer hunting season again! I’m not a hunter, but I’m a nature lover, and it can teach us a lot about spiritual things. In fact, a deer can teach us how much even the toughest man needs the Lord.

Psalm 42:1

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

Why is the deer panting? There’s only three reasons why deer pants:

He’s chasing after a female deer, a doe.

He’s fighting another stag over a doe.

He’s running for his life because of some danger, like a hunter or a mountain lion.

it’s the running for your life situation this psalmist is talking about. When you’re desperately needing God your soul “pants” for Him, whether you realize it or not. It’s like you have been running for your life and are heaving for your next breath. You’re excruciatingly thirsty - and the heaving breaths don’t help things.

The presence of God is like a “ stream of water”. A stream is running water, that’s pure, not stagnant. At that point we would probably drink stagnant water. In fact, in the past, we have drank stagnant water. We’ll get to that in a minute. But running water is pure water, which truly quenches our thirst.

The stagnant water? We have served other gods, chasing after love, excitement, acceptance, fulfillment, feeling good. All idols before God, maybe drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, activities, even food. We’ve tried to comfort ourselves in many ways.

But what we need is the pure water.

David was a man among men facing Goliath as a mere boy yet he realized this. Real men know what they need to stay strong whether in the gym or at the stream.

In this case, the stream is our Lord. What we thirst for, what we are panting for, is the pure water, Jesus Christ!

In fact, the next verse says,

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

Jesus told the woman at the well that He was the living water and one who drinks from that living water will never thirst again. (John 4:14)

Verse 11 goes onto say:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?”

Are you feeling down, depressed, disturbed inside? Take a listen to the rest of the verse:

“Put your hope in God,”

for I will yet praise him,”

Even if you are down and disturbed he says praise Him. Why? Because David knows that the Lord is, as he puts:

“my Savior and my God.”

Jesus is our Savior. that Hebrew word for savior actually means deliverer. He not only delivers us from sin, he delivers us from the effects of sin.

I know this personally, friends. The Lord delivered me from a time when I was down, disturbed, and hopelessly addicted in many ways. We could compare my situation with yours, but that would be a waste of time. I would rather point you to the living water that quenches your thirsting soul.

My friends, that state of being down and depressed, addicted, was 40 years ago. Since then I have pastored and reached a place of leadership in addiction and mental health treatment in our state. How?

I started by panting at the Stream to reach some peace and sanity. Then I started panting at the Stream about problems in my family, then my work.

Then there was a major consolidation in the healthcare field that went on for years where mergers and acquisitions put me out on the street again and again because of layoffs - and I was the sole support of my family.

You better believe I did some painting at the Stream. Each time I got an even better job paying more because the Lord showed me at the Stream strategies that were new and more effective, and empowered me to do them.

And there’s nothing too small to come panting to the Stream about. The Lord just loves that you come and that you come panting.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTY4bLnFh/

[cherylreeves]

Poem - To Open Wide

To open wide,My mouth, my arms, my mind and heart.To spread my wingsThrough ordinary things.To dance and write and dare to sing.To abandon shame for better things.Little steps, my brave self now,For gentle motion any how.To move, to speak, to vibrancy.To see small steps as currency. At this life moment to embraceA youthful heart, a new bright race.I am not dead. I can still dance.I give myself a…

[biblebloodhound]

The Message of Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16)

Jesus made it evident he was not going to submit to what the crowd wanted. Christ had a different idea about what needed to take place.

Christ enters Jerusalem, by Hanna-Cheriyan Varghese The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—    the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid,…

[troubledontlast1]

It is simply not enough to know about God.

We must know God in increasing levels of intimacy that lifts us up above all reason and into the world of adoration and praise and worship.

[swatmark]

Acts 17.22-31 and John 14.15-21

Uncover the transformative power of a personal relationship with God through faith, obedience, and the Holy Spirit. Join us in exploring Acts 17:22-31 & John 14:15-21, deepening our connection with God. #Christianity #FaithJourney #HolySpirit #SermonNotes

Introduction Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we gather to reflect on a powerful message in the Bible passages Acts 17:22-31 and John 14:15-21. As we delve into these passages, let us explore the main focus of our sermon: the personal relationship with God through faith, obedience, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We will use our knowledge of Christian theology and the Bible to…

[tom4jc]

Psalm 109:4-5 Pray When Mistreated

In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for love. Psalm 109:4-5 Everyday people are harmed or falsely accused by others. When this occurs, most, out of extreme anger, like to seek out revenge against the one who did wrong. There is often a desire is to make the person who did wrong to pay for it by one’s own…

[kgdrendel]

Asbury University and the Manifest Presence of God

I am cautioned, at the same time, by the words of Jesus to the woman at the well that we need to worship God in spirit and truth.

I don’t recall where I obtained this capture, but I am grateful for it. I woke up thinking about the phrase, “manifest presence of God”. I am not sure where I even heard that phrase. I had not thought of it in ages, but the phrase popped into my head when I slipped from my dreams last night into a brief state of consciousness. I would say that the so-called “Asbury revival” is an example of the…

[walkswithmyfather]

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7‭-‬14‬ ‭(NIV‬‬). “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

“Seek Bravely; Knock Boldly” by In Touch Ministries:

“Those who actively pursue God are never disappointed.”

“Yesterday, we looked at what it means to ask something of God and what we gain by doing so. But we are also told to do two additional things in our pursuit of God: “seek” and “knock.”

All three of the commands come with rock-solid promises: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7, emphasis added). Notice the Lord doesn’t say “maybe it will be given,” “perhaps you will find,” or “hopefully it’ll be opened.” He wants us to know that those who seek after Him will never be disappointed. The journey—however long or challenging it might be—will always be worth it.

But what kind of door does Jesus have in mind? It is Himself. In John 10:9 Jesus says, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” Jesus is the door through which we find abundant, eternal life. When we knock, we trust that there is always more goodness in store for those who are in Christ. And when we walk through this open door, it is through faith in Christ on the path of salvation that He alone provides.

When you ask, ask for more of Jesus. When you seek, seek the path of Jesus. And when you knock, knock boldly in the certainty that Jesus will open Himself to you and welcome you home.”

(Photo by Edwin Andrade at Unsplash)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving (Psalm 105:1–15)

Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. — 1 Chronicles 16:10 | Majority Standard Bible (MSB) The Majority Standard Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Psalm 32:11; Psalm 34:2; Psalm 97:12; Psalm 105:3; Isaiah 41:16; Isaiah 45:25; Jeremiah 9:24; Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Philippians 3:3; Galatians 6:14

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Notes: 1 Chronicles 16:10 is a verse from a psalm of thanksgiving written by King David when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. The verse encourages believers to find joy and pride in God's name, and to seek Him wholeheartedly.

[your-heart-is-a-treasure]

I run from the chaos that is me
towards the Peace that is You.

– Rumi

[learning2walkdaily]

December 13th-the simple answer is His love; a love so great it leads to the full expression in John 3:16.

Hebrews 7: 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for…

[iamentertainmentclub-blog]

Proverbs Daily Reflection – December 10, 2024

As today’s Proverb reminds us: "The heart of the seeker becomes an ocean, filled with rivers of wisdom, peace, and understanding, poured out by the Spirit of the Lord." (Proverbs 2:6-7) #josephmekaelpageministries

The Ocean of the Seeker’s Heart Good morning, friends! Let’s reflect on the beauty of seeking the Lord as we start this day. It brings transformative power into our lives. We step into a divine flow when we actively pursue Him. We do this through prayer, reading His Word, and opening our hearts to His Spirit. It’s like standing at the edge of an ocean, watching rivers pour into it without…