Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to
be still before God.
Opening Prayer: Father, You alone know what lies before me
this day. Grant that in every hour of it
I may stay close to you. Let me today
embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor
shrink from any sacrifice which your will may demand. For my Lord Christ’s Sake. Amen, (A Diary of Private Prayer by
John Baillie)
Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 63:1-8
Reading for Reflection:
What does it look like to seek God earnestly? The dictionary tells us that the definition of the word earnestly is "serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous." Wow, that's a pretty weighty definition; particularly when we are applying it to our seeking of God. When I seek God do I have serious intention, or is it just casual, haphazard, and random? Am I serious in purpose, or am I aimless and adrift? Am I serious in effort, or am I lackadaisical, tepid, and lazy? My guess is that if I indeed want to find Him in my seeking, it will depend a good bit on the earnestness of my seeking. At least that's what Jeremiah would tell us: "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
The Hebrew word for earnestly is shachar which means to seek diligently, or early. This word gives the definite impression that the thing that is being sought in this manner is the first thing, the most important thing, or, as Jesus said, the one thing. When we seek something in this way, all other things take a back seat.
So, back to the original question: What does it look like to seek God earnestly? Or, more specifically, what does it look like for me to seek God earnestly? And if I am not seeking him earnestly right now, what is the word I would use for how I am seeking him? And is that enough? Enough for me? Enough for him? What am I seeking earnestly (if not God)? And what does that tell me?
I think this whole Psalm (63), and this whole earnestly thing hinges on what David says in verse 3: "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that God's love is the best thing? Until we truly believe that, we simply will not seek him earnestly. In fact, we will earnestly seek whatever that thing is that we think is better than life. Jesus said it so well when he said, "For where your treasure is, your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)
So that leaves us to ask ourselves: What will it take for us to make the leap from seeking him casually, or comfortably, or even regularly, to seeking him earnestly? And are we willing to make that leap. If we aren't, then Lord help us.
The Hebrew word for earnestly is shachar which means to seek diligently, or early. This word gives the definite impression that the thing that is being sought in this manner is the first thing, the most important thing, or, as Jesus said, the one thing. When we seek something in this way, all other things take a back seat.
So, back to the original question: What does it look like to seek God earnestly? Or, more specifically, what does it look like for me to seek God earnestly? And if I am not seeking him earnestly right now, what is the word I would use for how I am seeking him? And is that enough? Enough for me? Enough for him? What am I seeking earnestly (if not God)? And what does that tell me?
I think this whole Psalm (63), and this whole earnestly thing hinges on what David says in verse 3: "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that God's love is the best thing? Until we truly believe that, we simply will not seek him earnestly. In fact, we will earnestly seek whatever that thing is that we think is better than life. Jesus said it so well when he said, "For where your treasure is, your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)
So that leaves us to ask ourselves: What will it take for us to make the leap from seeking him casually, or comfortably, or even regularly, to seeking him earnestly? And are we willing to make that leap. If we aren't, then Lord help us.
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Closing Prayer: O my God, teach me to seek you, for I cannot
seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire, and desire you
in my seeking. Let me find you by loving
you, let me love you when I find you.
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