Seek & Find
Unlike children, God does not play hide and seek. God promises that if you seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him.
“Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding...What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9, 23-24, 29-31, 35-40
Have you ever been talking to someone and felt like you needed to repeat yourself to make sure they heard what you said? We live in a very distracted world where it is easy for things to come in one ear and go out the other. If you are a parent, you do not need any evidence of this reality. Much like a parent who repeats what they say out of a desire for good for the child, God continually, repeatedly speaks to His people about how to live.
When you read this passage does anything stand out to you? This is not the first time that the Bible has shared any of these messages. What does stand out is the statement that Moses says that there are commands that God gives you. Do you see the commands of God as a gift? Do we see the instruction and the correction of God as a blessing? There are not many people who like being told what to do or how to do it. There is something in our nature that can tend to push back on discipline or strict guidance. Should this be the case?
God spells out why His commands are a gift. He says that it is so you will live, not so He gains anything from you. God knows that we have a deep need for meaning in our lives and that without relationship with Him we can feel lost or alone. The gift of our time on earth was not meant to be a burden, but a blessing. The life God wants to give you is the same life that Jesus described when He used the greek word Zoe, eternal life. He describes a life so full of the spirit, connected to God, that both the quality and quantity of your life is infused with the best God offers. Is this how you are feeling about your life? Do you believe that there is more to life than what you are experiencing? How could drawing closer to God help you receive the blessings of life that are unlocked by following His commands?
“Let the Lord judge the peoples...My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”
Psalms 7:8, 10, 17
David was a unique historical character. How many people sang songs about God's judgment? How do you respond when you think of the word judgment? Does it make you naturally cringe? Ask yourself why. Is it not because we do not like the punishment or consequences that can come from judgment when we are wrong?
God wants to free us from those fears and David praises God for saving the upright in heart. Note what David does not say. David does not say God saves those who are perfect and never sin. David sinned in rather epic fashion. He knew the weight of sin, but also that the God who saves did not want David's sin to separate him from the Heavenly Father. Is there anything in your life right now that is causing separation from God? Is God's judgment not meant to help guide you back on the path that He calls you to walk?
There is richness in the beauty of the language that David uses when he uses the word shield. David knows that God's judgment would reveal that David should have a consequence when he falls short, but the same God who could judge him instead chooses to act as his shield. Do you ever think about how incredible it is that God sent His only Son to take your place and be your shield from the wages of sin? David saw the heart of Father and praised both God's judgment and His mercy.
“Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”
Proverbs 4:3-7, 14, 18, 21-23, 25-26
Solomon's words echo the words of the Lord that are spoken through Moses in Deuteronomy. God is repeating His instructions because God wants to help. Look at the action words that are used in this passage. Take, Keep, Get, Do Not Forsake, Do not Set, Walk, Guard, Give, and Be. The life following God requires intention and attention. How intentional are you about your life? How much time do you spend scrolling on y9ur phone or wasting time? How attentive are you to the words you allow to come out of your mouth and the way in which you live? How carefully do you guard your heart.
Why do you think Solomon says above all else guard your heart? Have you ever had a time when you were careless with your heart or what got into your heart? What happened? How did that feel? Jesus wants to help protect you from the pain that comes when you do not guard your heart and more importantly wants to fill your heart so that you can become a vessel of His heart. In the book of Luke, Jesus says that what we say from our mouth comes from our heart. Our hearts are the decicion engine that drives our lives. Should we not thank God that He gives us commands for how to guard our hearts so that we will live?
Solomon says the path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining brighter. Doesn't that sound nice? Don't you want to live a life where you shine and experience the presence of God intimately? Jesus says you are called to be salt and light. So, how do you do it? Solomon says just do the next right thing you know to do. He says don't be in a hurry. Be careful and steadfast. Allow God to speak and guide you to the path that is lit by the Son and leads to everlasting life.
“=his is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost...this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness...I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice."
Ezekiel 34:2-5, 10-17, 20, 29-31
Consider how closely these words mirror the words of David in Psalm 23 and the words of Jesus in John 10. Jesus says I am the good Shepherd. I am the one who cares for my sheep and watches over them. I am the one who will bind up the broken hearted, bring healing to the hurting, and hope to the hopeless. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the fulfillment of the promise of God that is made in this passage. Praise God that He sent us the Good Shepherd and for how we can see the continuity of God's word that is never broken.
God warns the people through Ezekiel that they will be held to account for how they choose to shepherd others. Life is always about more than just you and how you live. Jesus said the great commandment is to love God and love others. When Jesus restored Peter, after Peter had betrayed Jesus, He clearly called Peter to feed His lambs, care for His sheep, and feed His sheep. We are called to become Jesus to the world around us and live out the gift that is the command to love the world around us. How are you following Jesus' command to feed and find the lost? Who does God call you to care for and shepherd today? Who could you reach out to if you are in a place of hurt and need help?
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in "good work. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11
The life you will live comes back to the vision that you have for your life. God promises that you will find eternal life if you seek Him. God promises a life connected and meaningful if you follow His commands. The question is what do you want? What is the vision for your life? Perhaps more importantly, what is God's vision for your life? Who does He call you and what strengths did He give you to help bring the kingdom today?
Do you want to produce an abundant crop? What kind of crop are you sowing. The law of sowing and reaping will never be broken. You reap what you have sown. When you look at the fruit that your life is producing, do you like what you see? Are you producing fruit that feeds others and glorifies the God who has given you seed to sow? God always brings the conversation back to your heart. Paul wrote that God loves a cheerful giver. He does not want you to give out of compulsion or relunctantly. Giving out of obligation does not produce joy or honor God. Cheerful giving out of gratitude with recognition to God, that demonstrates trust in God, glorifies God.
We live in the upside-down kingdom when we follow Jesus. Do you want more blessing at work and a larger bank account? Learn to give. God says test me in this and see if I do not overflow your barns. The truth is you can never out give God and He wants to give you more seed to sow. The question is what do you want? Do you want to live a life of generosity and joy? Do you want to experience intimacy with Jesus where you hear His voice and see Him work in and through you? Seek Him and you will a life beyond your anything you could have asked for or imagined. Listen and you will learn to see how His commands are one of His greatest gifts that He could ever have given you.