I am currently enjoying a season of my life that seems to be full of opportunities to see God at work. I accepted Christ at the age of 13, so there have now been 2 decades of peaks and valleys in my walk. There have been times when I couldn't *feel* His Presence no matter how hard I tried. There have been periods where I have found myself praying, "I want to want to want You, Lord" because it was the truth of where I was in my life.
And then there are these times, where I feel like it is relatively 'easy' to hear His voice and see Him at work in the world around me. Oh, how I long to linger in this place. I love how He is teaching me in relatively painless ways in this chapter.
I have been reflecting on how therapeutic and faith-building it is for me to spend each evening reflecting on where I saw God this day. I am finding that the more I look for Him, the more I find Him.
"...You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you..."
Jeremiah 29:13-14a (NIV)
The Message paraphrase says it this way: "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."
I confess, my whole heart is still not involved in searching for Him. I can only imagine the incredible treasure that could be found if it were. I long for that.
Tonight as I searched Scripture for references to seeking God, I found a passage I don't really remember studying before in Acts. These verses jumped out at me:
"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" Acts 17:27-28 (NIV)
I don't think God tries to play games with us. He wants to be found, noticed, acknowledged in our daily lives. I am just far too easily distracted.
As I was writing this, I was reminded of an old Stephen Curtis Chapman song, "The Mountain." I have included some of the lyrics below.
My faith is strengthened by all that I see. You make it easy for me to believe up on the mountain...
I would love to live up on this mountain and keep the pain of living life far away.
But I know I can't stay...
You bring me up here on the mountain for me to rest and learn and grow.
I see the truth up on the mountain and carry it to the world far below.
So as I go down to the valley knowing that you will go with me.
This is my prayer, Lord, help me to remember what you showed me up on the mountain...
5 comments:
A timely post. I was just about to post on my blog something my 5 y/o son and I read tonight. We've been reading the Narnia books, and we're currently on _Prince Caspian_. Tonight, we read one of my favorite passages where Lucy speaks to Aslan for the first time since the children's last time in Narnia. This is the text:
"Alsan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
Your post reminded me of this.
thank you for your comment on my blog. I posted something about Daniel just now, if you want to see it. My sister and her family can certainly feel the prayers of everyone during this tragedy.
I have been reading your blog for about a year now. You are always and inspiration. thank you.
Oh, yes Lord, help me remember in the valley what You showed me up on the mountain. It is so true that the older we become the bigger He is, take that as an absolute fact from one who is much older than you are. God is so good to us all of the time. He is found when we seek Him, for He truly wants to be found and have a realtionship with us. Thank you for your posts. Your posts bless my heart over and over. He is using you greatly. Blessings on your day and your week.
What a great post. I have been experiencing a similar "mountaintop" experience lately. I am having a great time seeking Him and would probably be very content to remain here. However, like the song you quoted, I know that He will send me out into the world to use what He has taught me on the mountain.
What a timely post. I read your blog almost every day and truly love the way you share your heart.
I was just praying yesterday during my quiet time that I would feel God's presence more in my life and that I would hear His voice. I feel like this post was just for me. Thanks for always revealing how God is working in your life... I think He uses your experiences to speak to us out here who are struggling with the same things!
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