Seeking God for His Presence vs. His Blessings
"And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." -1 Chronicles 28:9
A mentor of mine was in town, and he was talking about the importance of seeking God's presence. "So many people seek God for what He can do for them, but that's not what's important. What's important is seeking God for His presence."
There is so much that vies for our attention from the time we're young until the time we leave this earth. The world makes us think certain things are more important than they are — money, success, material possessions, and marital status to name a few. Many times we start out seeking God because of what He can do for us. We seek Him because we realize we need a Savior. Then, we seek Him because we need financial security. Or we want a husband or a wife. "If God would only give me this one thing... then I would be happy!" we tell ourselves. But the truth is, seeking God to get what we want won't bring us happiness — it's His presence that helps us to enjoy the things we do have — and the ability to cherish the things He gives us in the future.
It's a backwards equation — we seek God for Him and find contentment, and then perhaps, He allows us to have the things we desired when they no longer have power over us. He asks each of us, "Am I enough?"
"Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him." -1 Corinthians 7:30-32 In the end, the stuff or the people or the circumstances don't matter.
At the end of our lives, it will be God and us — that's it. We need to live a life that honors Him, because He is the only thing that matters in the end. No one and nothing else has a say in our eternity.
Are you seeking God for His presence?
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