SEEKING GOD AND FINDING HIM.......Brings Reward!

What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord?   

Everyone needs Christ.  Some peoples attitude to seeking God may be different, but every living need God to survive one day at a time.  Seeking God is to serve Him in truth and spirit.  

Eternity beckons and everyone with the hope of eternity will have to seek the Lord and serve Him.  All that have this expectation are expected to purify themselves according to the Word of God. The Lord says be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers, rather, come out from among them.  Be separate says the Lord, touch not unclean things and I will receive you as my sons and daughters.

Man has different reasons for seeking the Lord, God almighty. People seek God to know Him and His ways, others seek Him for the benefits of seeking Him, the protection, provision, for financial, material and spiritual benefits.  But God Himself asked us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all its righteousness and every other thing shall be added to us. Mathew 6:33

God is telling us that if we seek the Kingdom of God first, then all the things we need will be given to us. When we place God first in life, we see him working through all circumstances and events for our good. God is saying that if we make Him our priority, learn of His ways and walking in them, everything that people are pursuing will begin to pursue us until we have an abundance. 

He gave us the assurance that if we seek Him, we would find Him, so let us begin to seek Him with all our heart and never stop seeking to know God better till we complete our assignment on earth.

What does it mean to seek God?

Believers set their mind and heart to seek the Lord for their life is hidden in Christ, they are not alone and can do nothing alone.  Moses says as for Him, he would seek the Lord, Joshua after Moses also says the same Word, that as for him and his family, they would serve the Lord.  He asked the children of Israel to consider God they will serve. King David, it was that charged Solomon and Princes to set their heart and soul to seek the Lord and build the Sanctuary of the Lord God  - 1 Chron 22:19.  

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2) 

It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God.  It is not a gift, but your heartbeat as a person, a conscious effort flowing from your love and obedience to the word of God and the faith you have in Him. This is what Paul prays for the church: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” . (2 Thessalonians 3:5). 

How to Seek the Lord

God reveal Himself in His word and whosoever desires to seek God, goes first to His Word in the bible.  Every time a person studies the Word of God with all his heart and with the help of the Holy Ghost, that person receives a revelation of God through the Word.  You know the mind of God concerning any issue through His Word and everyone can today seek God. The problem with man is that the devil does everything to hinder a man from seeking God.  

There are endless obstacles that we must get around in order to enter into the presence of God and learn of Him.  The devil knows the benefits and glory of being in God's presence and thus fights everyone that desires God and to serve Him.  So, we would have to make up our mind and fight our way through to see the Lord and be in His presence all the time for our own good.  And as we direct our minds and hearts God-ward in all our experiences, we cry out to him. 

Reasons for seeking God

For Success in Business

When you were not born again, Satan helped you in life and business because you his, but when you become born again, you need God to step-in and help you to succeed in life and business.  You need His presence to go with you because His presence is opening every door, his presence speaks protection and success that you need. Don't think you are an expert in your profession, and so you can go it alone, relying in your expertise...NO!  

The devil will fight you and all your connections to a standstill.  I know what I am writing about, I have been there several times until I understood the secret - His presence, not money and not expertise!  Don't go without God into any battle or journey.

You don't think of yourself more highly than you should, otherwise, you set up yourself for failure. Your vision should be before God until you hear Him speak clearly to you about the business.  If you spend time with Him and seek Him, He will deposit the plan and you can go.  The reason you don't want to go into business is because of fear. But when Jesus enter your boat, fear goes away.  You have to yield your heart and physical strength and wisdom unto Him.  When you want to start a business, the first thing you need is not money, but God's presence.

Moses understood that fact very clearly when he told God they cannot go anywhere without Him, not even with the angel assigned to accompany them.  They had failed many times in the past when they ventured out without God.  That should be your testimony also.  You need God's presence and not your own power.  You need to now pray unto God and say, God, I now belong to you, please come into my spirit, soul and body and help me in this business.

He has a good plan for our lives

In Jeremiah 29:11-16,  God tells us that He has plans for our lives, to bring us to an expected end.  The question is what is that expected end?  I can only say that the expected end is a compound promise from God to take us, lead us and guide us to become who He created us to be. This may sound funny to people of the civilized world, that powers of darkness use all kind of manipulation and diversion to dislodge people from their God-given destination in life.  Some peoples have their stars removed, the moment the evil eyes of the enemy (Uncle or even friends) see it in the realm of the spirit.  If your destiny has been tampered with, there will be restoration today in Jesus name.

Some people it is their seat of glory that is taken from them in the spirit, meaning they will labour in vain.  They will never occupy any enviable position, no matter the qualification they may have.  Have you not seen a Professor that is stranded in life and hungry, when people with a first degree are building houses and owning businesses?

Yet, for some others, their destiny is exchanged with that of another person to hinder the person from being who God had created him to be.  This is why we see people who were created to be Engineers becoming road-side mechanics. Pilots becoming Drivers and medical Doctors becoming auxiliary Nurses.  But, the promise of God here is that He will take us to an expected end, meaning if we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, serve Him with all our heart, strength and ability, no plans of the enemy against us will succeed.  The Lord will guide our destiny journey and lead us to that destination where He had ordained for us.

Ask, Seek and Knock is a command

In Matthew 7:7  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”  This means that God expects us to come to Him always with our problems and need.  It takes action for us to receive the blessings of God. Ask, knowing that God will answer. Seek, knowing that your search is not in vain. Knock, confident that the door will be opened for you by the Almighty God.  The only condition being your faith that He will answer and supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ.  

His riches in Christ is inestimable, you cannot exhaust it.  His riches in Christ is till eternity and can never run dry, that is why He gave us Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.  He came in the person of Jesus to redeem the world to Himself.  Before Christ, He came to redeem the children of Israel through the person of Moses, that was why everyone that resisted and abused Moses was consumed without mercy.  He represented God, who came to deliver His people the children.

Because in Him, we have our being

Acts 17:24-26 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. 

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us.  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”  God's plan is that we would seek him, and in all the earth, all eyes look to God for their daily living and sustenance.

The Lord has made it that we seek Him and depend on Him for all our needs.  No matter how blessed and wise we may be, it is as evil before God, if we think we can live on our own.  God sees it as evil when we don't seek him. Those who do good and still do not seek God to do evil! It is arrogance and pride when we believe we can live without the One who created us.   2 Chron 12:14 says it thus "he did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.”  

Our Defence

God is our defence and as His children, whenever we run into trouble from Satan, we simply go to Him in prayer asking for help and deliverance.  We have an advocate in heaven, speaking and interceding for us, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  In 2 Chron 14:9, when 1million Ethiopian Soldiers invaded Judah, King Asa cried unto the Lord for help and the Lord gave Him victory and the Lord smote the Ethiopians before King Asa and the people and the Ethiopians fled. In  God sees it as evil when we don't seek him. Those who do good and still do not seek God to do evil! It is arrogance and pride when we believe we can live without the One who created us.

2 Chron 15:1-2, the Lord warned King Asa that the Lord is with him, while you are with the Lord, but if he forsakes the Lord, the Lord will forsake him.  It says thus "Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 

And in 2 Chronicles 15:12, the King took almost ten tribes of Israel to enter into a covenant to serve the Lord “They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers with all their heart and soul. All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.”  They took seeking God seriously. There were no short cuts or excuses. No one was excluded. We must seek God wholeheartedly and eagerly. God promises that we will find Him.

You can't do without Him

In the kingdom of God, where you are now, you cannot do without Him.  He is your shepherd.  He says in John 10: 25-29, Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.   But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.   

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  You don't have eternal life without Him.  Without him, your life will be full of struggle and nothing meaningful will result from your toils.

If you are His sheep, you cannot survive in the jungle of life without your shepherd and you do not need a Prophet to tell you this.  In the jungle with Lion, Leopard and other dangerous animals, how can a sheep live long without the Shepherd, for a strolling sheep is a food for the next carnivorous animal in the jungle? 

He is the Vine

He is the true vine and any tree not abiding in Him is cut off.  He says in John 15: 1-11 that   "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.   

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  Love and Joy Perfected.  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

God is our great Rewarder

God is our greatest reward. He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him and when we have him, we have everything. Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” There is a great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. “If you seek him, he will be found by you” because when you find Him, there will be rewards.  “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” - Hebrews 11:6. 

Remember:

1. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” - Isaiah 55:6 

2. “If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy...” - Job 8:5 

Obstacles to Seeking God
The great obstacle to seeking the Lord is pride. “In the pride of his face, the wicked does not seek him” (Psalm 10:4). Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord. 

Remember also that, all the run around to take care of your family, wife and children are not excuses for not seeking and serving the Lord.  The moment the trumpet sounds, everyone is one his own, your wife and children will stand for judgement separately, so please rise up and seek the Lord to serve Him. 

FIRE...