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Although I often approached the baby’s room thinking I would be the valiant hero saving the damsel in distress, I often needed a hero to save me. No matter what I did, there were times when those babies just would not stop crying. Neither extensive amounts of walking, nor melodic singing, nor rocking, nor cuddling would do the trick. Sometimes, the baby simply wanted her mother. Nothing else would do. No one else would do. No, not even me!
Let’s review our definition of seek: “to desire, to reach out at, to go after.” You must seek God always. You know from God’s promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him. And once you find God, you will realize that no one else will do. You should cling to God the same way a baby clings unto his mother. You only want God. You only want Him to rock you and to soothe you and to wipe your tears away. No one else will do. God wants to reward and prosper you just because you are His child. The added bonuses, however, are realized when we thirst, hunger, long, yearn for, go after, desire, inquire, require, look for and crave God.
Watch Your Language
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,” (Hebrews 6:13)
At one point or another, we have all made promises. Many young people exchange what are called “promise” rings. Although that ring has a promise of love and loyalty, sometimes that promise is broken to the extent that that couple may never see each other again. Along those same lines, marriage vows are often severed to the point of irreconcilability. Although the intention in making promises is to keep them, sometimes they are broken, whether it’s our fault or someone else is to blame. A promise is our word, and a man is only as good as his word. So there are many, many people who need to watch their language.
God’s Word is His promise. We are blessed to have it in a written form and even more blessed to have it divided into easy to find chapters and verses. This is an advantage that we have over the prophets of old. Anytime we have a problem or, if we just simply want to read the Word of God, we can just pick up our Bibles, turn a few pages, and the problem is addressed.
Neither the Old nor the New Testament prophets had the handy, concise version of the Bible that we take for granted. They had to be in tune with God in order to know for sure that they had been hearing from Him. Anytime they brought a message to God’s people, they had to be convicted of the Holy Ghost to preach a Word that no one had ever heard before and that no one could look up and verify. Our prophets could not consult the Bible to see what God had to say in a similar situation with someone else. All they could go on was a word from the Lord. And because God could swear by nothing greater than Himself, He swore on Himself. He looked at the stars and said, “No, they are not good enough. I made them myself.” Then He looked down at the earth and declared, “No, earth is just my footstool. That’s not good enough. Heaven is my throne and that won’t do either.” God was so intent on keeping His promise to Abraham, that He put His own reputation at stake. He said, “I, God, swear on God. And I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” God cannot lie. In Him there is no guile, no dishonesty and no mocking, so he fulfilled the promises made to Abraham. Abraham became the Father of Many Nations, and God continued to bless and prosper him.
There Is None Like Him
“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)
You do not have to be a genius to understand that no one can do for you what God can do for you. No one will bless you the way God will bless you. No one will confer peace upon you the way God will confer peace upon you. God is the author and finisher of our faith. That which He has said, He will perform. That which He has spoken, He will bring to pass.
God, RSVP ASAP
It’s time to seek God. It’s time to send Him, through prayers, an invitation to be in our presence and in our hearts. If you let God know that His presence is required, He will show up. Since He probably will not RSVP, you must be ready and prepared to receive Him at all times.
Job was not the only one looking for God. Even Isaiah declared that his soul desired, yearned and longed for God in the nighttime and that his spirit sought Him early in the morning. Moses was so enthralled by God that he told Him he wanted to see His glory. God complied and showed Moses His backparts, but what he actually saw was just the residue of God. Even though it was just His residue, Moses still had to marvel in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. Moses could not even stand the glory gleaming from just a trace of God. If the residue of God is enough to make you shout and marvel and declare His sovereignty, imagine how you would react if you actually found God!
Just as a baseball coach waves in the runner coming home from third base, God gives you signs and directions to help you find Him. Just like a coach, the closer you get to Him, the more vigorously He waves. Trust God enough to run straight toward Him, as fast as you can. He is waiting with open arms.
Better Than A Big Steak Dinner
“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”(Job 23:10,12)
Searching God’s Word is the way that we find Him. His Word should be so sweet unto us, that we would prefer to have just one Word from God than a big, steak dinner with all the trimmings.
Imagine sitting at your favorite table in your favorite restaurant. The waitress approaches you with a tray laden with all the components of a big steak dinner: a T-bone steak glistening in succulent juices, soft, savory rolls bathing in butter, a baked potato stuffed with butter, sour cream, chives, cheese and bacon and a tall glass of iced tea sweetened to perfection. Don’t forget the dessert you have already ordered, a bowl of hot apple crumb cobbler a la mode. You see the smiling waitress make the final turn to your table. She stops, looks at you, places the tray in front of you and then says, “Enjoy, and it’s on the house!” Guess what? God’s Word is even better than that! It is wonderful and fulfilling.
God’s Word is better than a big steak dinner. One Word from Him can change your whole life. Even though food may be necessary, God’s Word is critical.
As you have seen in Jeremiah 29:11, God wants to prosper you, but you must seek Him out. You must require His presence. He cannot bless you if He does not know you, and He cannot get to know you until you find Him. Seek Him earnestly, and God will make Himself available. Go after what He has for you. Get in hot pursuit of Him. Seek God with every fiber of your being, and then your prosperity will unfold.
God’s Requirements Of You
God has two requirements of us:
1. Believe that He exists, and
2. Believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
God could have demanded that you feed the poor, clothe the naked, volunteer at a charity, serve on every church board, speak in tongues, heal the sick and give away all your money. But all that He requires of you is that you believe that He alone is God and that He alone is your rewarder. It impresses me that prosperity is tied up with seeking God diligently. He takes pleasure in your prosperity because He knows that you have to seek Him for it. He wants you to prosper in every good way and in every situation in life.
Despite all that God can give you, the material does not compare with the Spiritual. When you find God and luxuriate in His glory, you will throw your clothes, money and everything else in the dust, because nothing compares with His glory. Hallelujah!
You must seek God, and you can find Him in His word. Even if it means you have to get up early or stay up late, you must read his Word. You can easily look around and see that your miracles are not in the abundance God intended simply because you have not sought Him. Your prayers are not being answered simply because you don’t know him. Your life is in shambles because your relationship with God is in shambles. Once you find Him, you find His power, His miracles, His sovereignty, His prosperity, His everything.
Summary --- No One Else Will Do
1. There can never be a substitute for God in your life. He is the only one you should desire, reach out to and go after.
2. Even when God swore to Abraham that he would become the Father of many nations, He could find nothing greater than Himself so He swore on Himself.
3. God has established two requirements for His people, those who are His followers:
1. Believe that He exists, and
2. Believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
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