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.
Sometimes when people show up for an appointment, they will arrive a little too early, so the secretary will seat them out in the lobby to wait. As they look for a comfortable spot to sit down, they will usually find a small rack or coffee table that is filled with a wide assortment of magazines to thumb through. Eventually they will grab one that is filled with articles about topics that spark their interest. If somebody is an electrician, they will probably reach out for a magazine about the newest electronic gadgets. Someone who does a lot of quilting might reach for a sewing magazine to learn more about different types of stitches that she can use. Or if they don’t want to think about work at all, they can simply read about something else that they would rather be doing! But the point is, that people are naturally drawn towards things that interest them.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Whatever perks our interest is normally what we go seeking after, whether it’s hunting a deer, catching some fish, or reading an article in a magazine. I like to go out sailing occasionally, but it’s not the most important thing in my life. Above and beyond anything else, our relationship with God must come first. God is capable of giving us above and beyond anything that we could ever ask for, but He must be our all consuming desire. This is the type of faithful and loving devotion that He will greatly reward.
“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
Sadly, many people don’t seek God until their head hits the pillow at night. He isn’t first in their thoughts, but is the last thing of importance during their day. Many times people will place Earthly relationships above God, focusing more attention on their wife and children, or their jobs before Him. When Jesus started His day, He would go out very early in the morning and spend time fellowshipping with the Heavenly Father. When He was a child, He was seeking after God so much that one time His parents lost track of Him in Jerusalem. They eventually found Him in the temple, discussing the things of God.
Luke 2 ⁴⁸ And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. ⁴⁹ And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
When you seek something diligently, it is characterized by a steady earnest and energetic effort. It is to do something in a determined way in order to obtain that which you desire. In the following passage, people were seeking the Lord so diligently, that it didn’t matter if they hadn’t eaten for days on end.
Mark 8 ¹ In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, ² I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: ³ And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
Other people were seeking Him diligently, but for the completely wrong motives.
John 6 ²⁵ And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? ²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
In today’s modern era, people will push and shove others just to get an autograph from their favorite movie star or musician. They will camp out overnight, just to be one of the first customers to get inside the doors of a huge holiday sale. People can diligently seek all types of things in this world, but in order to please God, these are the characteristics that must be placed upon Him. If people only took these qualities and applied them to God, think about the rewards that He would pour out upon this world. But for many of them, their hearts are misplaced, just as they have been for thousands of years. The Apostle Peter was seeking the Lord so much, that he jumped off a boat just to be near Him.
John 21 ⁴ But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. ⁵ Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
⁶ And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. ⁷ Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
People will pay more attention to things in the world than our blessed Lord who laid down His own life for us on the cross. You cannot diligently seek God if you are diligently seeking after 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.
Some children will get home from school, spent a few minutes with their parents, and then disappear for the rest of the day with children from the neighborhood. How can anybody have a close and meaningful relationship with God, or anyone for that matter, by spending one hour a week with them? But this is exactly what many people do as their time and devotion is spent elsewhere. The children of God will seek a close relationship with Him, but the wicked will not.
“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” Psalms 10:4
To find God, we must go looking for Him!
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Proverbs 8:17
Above anything else, Solomon desired the wisdom of God. He was rewarded for seeking such things, including treasures, riches, and honor, but the things of God were first in his heart.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Is God your greatest desire?
Is He the first and most important thing in your life?
Are you seeking Him with a diligent heart, or are you reaching out for something else on the…..
…….The Magazine Rack
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 groups. 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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
tlkjbc.com
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 