“Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12
Seek the Lord.
I love this thought. We are to seek the Lord, but not just the Lord. His strength. AND, His presence.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel strong enough sometimes. Maybe not strong enough to follow through on commitments. Not strong enough to keep pursuing my goals. Not strong enough to stick to my diet. Perhaps I am not strong enough to resist temptation.
I need the Lord’s strength for daily struggles. To overcome. To live the blessed life God has planned for me.
Life-Giving Presence of God
This kind of strength is built in the presence of the living God. Emmanuel. God with us.
When He is with us, who can succeed against us?
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
In His presence, we are empowered to live life victoriously.
He will be found
David was called the man God’s own heart. The author of many of the Psalms is a master at prayer. He poured out his heart to his God, sadness, anger, joy, every range of emotion.
He knew that his son, Solomon, was going to build the house of God, a great temple.
David prepared, collecting all the materials and organizing the tribes of Israel for the building of the temple. He challenges the people of Israel not to forsake the Lord and establishes Solomon as his successor to the throne.
David’s charge to Solomon
As Solomon is taking his place as king, his father charges him:
And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9
This master of prayer, David, knows a truth. The truth that if you seek the Lord, He will be found by you.
God promises that we will find Him if we seek Him.
Building our faith
As we seek Him, we need to build our faith by remembering the wonderful things He has already done. The miracles of the bible. The miracle of salvation in our lives. Prayers He has already answered.
Part of our prayers are telling Him thank you and giving Him praise for His previous actions.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4
We come into God’s presence with these praises.
We seek His presence in our lives with prayer.
Action Step:
Our focus today is PRAYER!
Prayer: communicating with God, a back and forth (talking AND listening)
List three things right now, either in writing or out loud that God has done in the past. Remember His works.
Thank Him for them and praise Him for who He is. Ask for His presence in your life and strength for daily living.
He longs for us to seek Him. He will be found.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for sending your Son to live through human struggles. Thank you that no matter what we go through, you understand. We praise you for salvation and freedom in Christ. Be with us, God, and let your presence bring strength as we trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
