Simply Seeking
Motivation Along the Path – Dec. 7th, 2018
I’m not a morning person, even though I rise early in the day to begin my devotions I’m really not that person who rises before sun up every day just because I’m ready to attack the day. I would find it much more appealing physically to remain in my state of slumber, but then I would miss out on the bounty of what the quiet of the morning hours provides.
I’m seeking that special time of day when the other issues of the day haven’t had an opportunity to interfere with my time of sharing with God. I share a cloudy, unstructured, and disorganized array of random thoughts. He on the other hand, shows me things from His Word that I need reminding of, and need to grow in depth of understanding. Things that are typically not what I am trying to find an answer for, but instead things that he knows I need, and am unaware.
It has become the peaceful place in the day when I’m empty of me, and prepared to be filled with him. Contemplation, relaxation, meditation, and conversation take place between the Lord and I, in this quiet place early in the day.
What do we seek?
It wasn’t always this way. In fact, it wasn’t until I made a conscious decision that I needed to have time uncluttered, that I discovered this place. I guess I didn’t realize I was seeking it at the time but realize now that we all seek something most of the time. Rare is the moment when we are not engaged in a pursuit of someone or something. So, this time, this place, this early hour for me provides a specific time that God and I share unfettered access to each other’s thoughts.
Though mine do not have the clarity of His Word’s, mine are expressed to Him via our interpreter, the Holy Spirit, living in me.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits — we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:22-27 (CSB)
Paul’s letter to the Romans expresses a state of seeking that we share with nature itself.
As believers in Christ Jesus, we often talk ‘down’ about the world we live in due to its corruption and defiled state of existence. This is a bit hypocritical given our own defiled state outside of the grace that was given to us by faith.
This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:15-16 (CSB)
We really do not have a leg to stand one when it comes to a defiled state, because our sanctification didn’t come as a result of our own resources. The robes of righteousness have been placed on us by our Lord and savior as a result of his grace and mercy, we have absolutely nothing invested in this righteousness. It is his grace that is given freely as a result of our faith and trust in him.
So, what am I seeking every morning? What are we seeking every day? What should every other follower of Jesus Christ be seeking above and beyond everything else in our view?
So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31-34 (CSB)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” It’s not a difficult thing to get our minds around really. First, foremost, beyond and before anything else, we are to simply be seeking the ‘kingdom of God’.
In my morning devotional with the Lord, I should be seeking nothing more than that which is part of the Kingdom, Christ’s Kingdom. Building it up. Looking for means to fortify it and make it stronger and more effective as a vehicle for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We should be seeking to share this Christ that has placed His Spirit in us as a down payment on the glory to which we will be a part of.
The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:14 (CSB)
The Holy Spirit living in us and being imparted to us is our assurity that this is just the beginning of what is coming and what we seek we will find because, the Lord told us this.
I want to inject a note here regarding what Paul is saying to the Ephesians. The Holy Spirit is our down payment, for what? ‘Our inheritance’. The next six words tell us the why of everything Jesus has done, ‘until the redemption of the possession’. Redemption? Possession? What possession? The one Jesus created back in the garden. We are his by merit of craftsmanship. He made us, we are his possession. All of this is to bring us, back to Him, to redeem that which was lost to sin and death. Jesus proffers redemption in every action he demonstrates for us. He has opened the door to our redemption and beckons to all of us come.
Jesus has not just left the door open, he has flung it wide and said…
Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (CSB)
Seeking Christ’s Kingdom is our ultimate goal and constant task. All things point back to this objective as we seek the lost and share with them the Gospel of Jesus, as we raise up disciples from those who embrace the Saviors love and grace, through the teaching and sharing of all things that he has taught us.
Simply seeking the Kingdom of God and all his righteousness, encompasses everything our Lord has commanded of us, the direction for our journey, and the very path on which we are to walk. It’s not complicated. There isn’t a secret handshake or some rite of passage that we have to go through, we seek this kingdom when we provide before Jesus our Lord and Savior ourselves as a ‘Living Sacrifice’ to him.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
‘Seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness’, this is pretty simple stuff!
Romans 12:1-2 (CSB)
Blessings, Kip…