Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
When we were children, a lot of us tended to lose things occasionally. I can remember having my mittens tied together with a string through my jacket sleeves, because I lost them so many times. Sometimes we misplace an article of clothing somewhere in the house, but after searching for a few minutes, we quickly give up and go watch television instead. If the item had really been important to you, perhaps you would have looked a little longer. After all, looking for a missing sock might not be as important as trying to find a game station controller. The point being, is that we tend to seek diligently after the things that are most important to us. A child might not go looking for a quarter in their messy bedroom, but if there is a chance that they might find a $20 bill that completely changes things.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
What we seek after most, shows what holds the highest value in our hearts. Many people seek after Earthly treasures, such as a big house, a large paycheck or a new truck, and will devote countless hours of their life in order to obtain them. A Spiritual man is diligently seeking after God, knowing that God is going to reward him for his efforts.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
To do something with diligence is to put forth an earnest and energetic effort in accomplishing something. Sometimes employees will only put forth a half-hearted attempt at work, while others are genuinely hard working people who seek to persevere at whatever duties are required of them. Diligence is persisting at something until you succeed. In order to find God, we must seek Him in the same manner.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” Psalms 119:2
Some people will go looking for something but then quickly give up, while others will search diligently, and not stop until they eventually find it. Many times I will think about a child who is constantly pulling on their dad’s hand in the grocery store because they want something that they see on the shelf. They keep asking over and over again with great persistence until the dad finally relents. When we seek after God, we must do it with great perseverance, continuing to search for Him until we find Him.
Luke 11 ⁵ And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
⁷ And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. ⁸ I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. ⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
A diligent seeker will keep looking until they find what they want.
“Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?” Luke 15:8
Large groups of people were coming out to hear Jesus preach, and they were seeking Him so much, that they were completely unconcerned about food.
“Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.” Matthew 15:32
But the things of this world can become a stumbling block to actively seeking God. This is because the heart comes divided, and other things entering in become greater than the desire for God.
Mark 4 ¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, ¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
This is why the Apostle John warned not to love the world.
1 John 2 ¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Moses was seeking after God so much that he walked away from all of the riches of Egypt.
Hebrews 11 ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; ²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
The Apostles were seeking after God so much that they forsook everything just to be with Him. Like Moses, this showed the status of their heart towards God and how much Spiritual things were worth to them.
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Not everybody can do this, but not everybody is going to make it into heaven either.
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” Matthew 19:29
Many people nowadays are incapable of walking away from their possessions or even their families in order to be close to God. They only desire to seek and serve God as long as it doesn’t conflict with their own worldly itinerary.
Luke 9 ⁵⁹ And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
⁶⁰ Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. ⁶¹ And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. ⁶² And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
People seek after things that are most important to them. What are you looking for? What are the things of God worth to you? What are you willing to do in your own life to be closer to Him? Are you seeking after God with a….
….. Diligent Heart
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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