Seek the Lord....a phrase that seems to be ringing over and over in my mind. Several times I have posted Deuteronomy 4:29 on my Facebook profile because those words just "follow" me around. "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (NKJV).
In this passage (Deuteronomy 4:15-40) Moses was talking to the Israelites about the dangers of idolatry and the consequences of such practice. The "there" is referring to places that the Israelites would be scattered other than the Promised Land. Here are my thoughts concerning this passage, and how I feel God is speaking to me.
"There" can be a lot of places and there are many reasons and circumstances that would cause us to be "there" instead of the "promised land" that God has for us. Take a moment and think about a time when you made a bad choice or someone around you made a bad choice. How did you handle the consequence when you were faced with being "there"? Maybe you are "there" now...insecurity, pride, loneliness...just a few "theres" that can take our focus off God and keep us from receiving all He has for us.
What does seek mean? The dictionary says it means "to resort to: go to" or "to go in search of" (Merriam-Webster). When we find ourselves in our "there" do we go searching for God? Do we diligently look for Him or what He is trying to say to us? Are we looking for God even when His promises are being realized or do we say "thank You" and then forget about Him for awhile until something scatters us from His promises?
While I know that God is telling me to seek Him because of the "there" places that I have been, I also know that He is telling me to seek Him to keep from going to other "theres". For at least a month, maybe two, I have wanted to write about this. I have been thinking and trying to write it out in my head....searching for the right words to say. I want God to be a very integral part of my everyday life. I don't want to set Him aside after my quiet time or Bible study. I believe God is telling me to look for Him in every part of my life. To develop my RELATIONSHIP with Him, not my religion.
Of course, there are a hundred reasons why I don't seek Him as much as I should. More often than not because I don't want to hear, much less do, what He is telling me to do. Obedience is not my strength. But I have found (and keep finding) that if I can just squash my pride and take those steps to where He is leading me, I will not be disappointed.
Friends, seek the Lord, being in His presence will not return void and will not take you "there".
