Seeking the Lord
I have been reading in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles lately. These great books are filled with the stories of the kings of Israel and Judah. They tell of the great things they accomplished and of the mistakes and misdirection of their lives. What I have found is that when they flourished and prospered they had their eyes focused on God. And when they did not prosper they were looking away from the Lord. The scripture says this about King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son… “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord” (2 Chr. 12: 14).
There is another story of King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah. They were planning to wage war on their enemy (Ramoth Gilead) and started talking about attack plans, etc. This is what happened…”Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘First see the counsel of the Lord’” (1 Kings 22: 5). One of the first responses of Jehoshaphat was to seek the counsel of God. As you read the story, Ahab was resistant to consult God because of his own track record of doing evil in the sight of God. He said, “There is still one man (prophet) through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad” (1 Kings 22: 8). Ahab was fearful of what the Lord might say to him, so he didn’t consult the Lord.
Unfortunately, this is a common mistake of many Christians even today. We are fearful of what the Lord might say to our plans, so we just move forward with what we think. Or we are so preoccupied with our own plans that we never once seek the Lord for his will in matters that come before us. The Bible warns us about this attitude of our hearts. Proverbs 14: 12 records, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” This theme continues in Proverbs 21: 1-2, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart”.
It should be very clear to each Christ follower, that God has a plan for our lives…a plan for our prosperity and for our good (see Jeremiah 29: 11). We are called to seek the Lord, to open our hearts and minds to his plan for us and not our own…to say to the Lord, “What is it you have planned for me?”
Jesus said it best when he was teaching his followers. In the context of teaching that our lives are not to be caught up in worrying about what will come in the future he said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6: 33). Seeking the Lord sets your life on the right path. It will allow all you do to be honoring to the Lord and I believe it will open up the channel of blessings that our God supplies.
What is it that you need to surrender to the Lord? What area of your life have you been trying to fix with no success? In what area of your life have you never invited God to give you direction? Looking to God’s guidance requires the humility to put your agenda aside. It requires faith to allow God to work and direct your life. It requires courage to say no to your plan and yes to God’s plan. God is teaching me about this in several areas of my own life. I trust that you will look to the Lord with eyes of faith to guide and direct every aspect of your life.
Pastor Greg