Time with Jesus - Monday, 25 February 2013
Men are often accused by females in the family that they don’t really look
for anything! Certainly Phyllida has this problem with me. My mother used to
comment, “He can’t see it for looking at it”! On the other hand, Phyllida
always knows where something is. “Have you looked properly” she will say to me.
Then she has the uncanny ability of walking past me and putting her hand on
whatever it is I’m looking for. She is incredibly patient with me. I’ve been
like this since before we met. Sometimes it’s infuriating. I pick something up
and put it down somewhere. 30 seconds later I can’t find it. They say this is
typical of most men. Perhaps it’s the difference with ladies being able to
“multitask”. They have an astonishing ability of being able to do several
things at once. I don’t know how. For me, doing one thing at a time is bad
enough. Ladies seem to have an automatic “filing ability” and know exactly
where everything is. Typically they can read a book, listen to the radio or
watch the TV, cook dinner, dry their hair, take care of the children and talk
to a friend on the phone all at the same time! The male mind boggles!
Looking for God is altogether different. We all seem to find it difficult
finding Him. In a sense, this is strange because He is everywhere. An
illustration is a fish in water. It is their natural habitat. They do everything
in water. Take them out of water for long enough and they will die. However,
are they aware of water? It’s much the same for you and me. Paul said to the
Athenians, 28 "In him we live and move
and have our being. Act 17:28 TNIV. We are only alive, because we are
in God. If we weren’t, we’d die!
Since God is everywhere and all around us, you’d think we would have no
problem locating Him. It should be easy to find Him. Our difficulty is, we are
the ones who are lost. God is not lost. We are. So why can’t we find Him? Instantly
my mother’s comment becomes relevant today. “We can’t see Him for looking at
Him”! To use the above illustration, perhaps we need a “female” to show us
where to find Him. I’m not suggesting that the Holy Spirit is female. But when
it comes to locating God, the Holy Spirit is the specialist! Jesus reminds us
that if we are persistent, we will find Him. 9 "So I tell you to ask and
you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. Luke 11:9GW
For us there is a challenge associated with “finding” God. James states; 8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Jas 4:8 ESV In our locating God, we find He
matches what we do. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Pull away
from Him and He seems further away. If you refuse to have anything to do with
Him, He will have nothing to do with you.
So let’s decide to draw close to Him; to seek Him with all our heart. He
will find us and our search will be over.
Shalom,
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Monday, 25 February 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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Looking for God
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Back in 1966, The Kinks
recorded a song which was a parody of the shopping trends in London. A couple
of us may remember it. It was called, “A Dedicated Follower of Fashion.” The
lyrics were not Christian, but they were not obscene or smutty. A couple of
lines of the song were: They seek him here, they
seek him there; in Regent Street and Leicester Square. The connection
is the promise of God that we will find Him if we look for Him wholeheartedly.
11 For I know the plans I have for
you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope. 12
In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for Me
wholeheartedly, you will find Me. Jer 29:11-13 NLT
The exiles in Babylon
were greatly encouraged by this. Much of the religious thinking of the day,
was that the gods were all localised. In the Israeli context, it would mean
that they were now under the control of some local deity. So for them to hear
that God intended to take them home, some 70 years later, helped them
enormously. It also indicated that God’s authority went beyond Israel’s
borders. This would be a new thought for the nations in those days.
We should not be
surprised at this attitude. They had none of our advantages of motor cars, engine
driven ships, aeroplanes or trains. The fastest means of transport was on
horseback. In the 18th century, John Wesley went on horseback all
over UK. It was the fastest means of transport, other than a horse drawn
carriage. The effect of this on the local population, was that there was
little opportunity to travel. People simply didn’t go on travel ventures. It
was expensive. Furthermore, most would work from sunrise to sunset every day,
except perhaps on Sunday, if they could afford to take such time off.
For me there is one word
that needs emphasising. That word is “wholeheartedly”. It’s a magnificent
truth to know, that wherever we are, we will find Him. It’s as true today as
it was in ±560BC. If we seek for Him
by faith, wholeheartedly, He assures us, we will find Him.
This should encourage all
of us. We know that God has no favourites and that He treats us all equally.
It is impossible to say of Him, that He won’t attend to someone, because
he/she is too great a sinner. There is no such thing as being too much of a
sinner, whom God will not listen too. Prince or peasant, He cares for all of
us equally. Every one of us starts from the same place. We are all “monsters
of Iniquity” until He rescues us from ourselves and Satan.
To seek God
wholeheartedly, is the opposite of indifference, or being lukewarm. In
Revelation we are told His reaction to lukewarmness. 15 I know what you have done, that you are neither cold
nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16 But since you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I'm going
to spit you out of my mouth. Rev 3:15-16
GW
If I may be permitted to
paraphrase Jesus Christ’s words: “Luke-warmness
makes me sick enough to vomit!” What do we do with this sort of
statement by Jesus, written to Christian believers? If nothing else, it
encourages me to seek Him by faith, with all my heart. As mentioned recently,
fear of the Lord has all but vanished from much of the body of Christ. Have
you checked your temperature with God lately? If not, this is a good time to
do so. You will only be as enthusiastic for God as you choose. So choose
life!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland |
3 Oh that I (Job) knew where I might find
him; that I might come even to his seat!
Job 23:3 ESV
10 Does anyone among you have respect for
the LORD? Does anyone obey the message of the LORD's servant? Let the person
who walks in the dark trust in the LORD. Let the one who doesn't have any
light to guide him depend on his God.
Isaiah 50:10 NIrV
13 When you look for me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Jer. 29:13 NIrV
9 "And so I tell you, keep on asking,
and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone
who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10 NLT
3 This is
the life we have seen and heard. We are reporting about it to you also so
that you, too, can have a relationship with us. Our relationship is with the
Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3 GW
13 But now through Christ Jesus you, who
were once far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:13 GW
18 So Jewish and non-Jewish people can go to
the Father in one Spirit.
Eph 2:18 GW
6 If we claim that we experience a shared
life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously
lying through our teeth--we're not living what we claim.
1 John 1:6 MSG
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always,
even to the end of the age."
Mat 28:20 NLT
5 Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with
what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll
never let you down, never walk off and leave you,"
Heb. 13:5 MSG
17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads
into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn't looking for
Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you know Him, because
He lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:17 NLT
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I wanted to find Jesus, so I looked
everywhere,
I tried behind the sofa and underneath
my chair.
I wandered round the bathroom; the
bedroom and the “loo”.
But sadly, couldn’t find Him, no
matter what I’d do.
I looked around the garden and tried
the cabbage patch;
But everything I spotted, could never
ever match,
Creation’s great designer. He just
could not be found.
I was so disappointed, I tried to look
around,
Alternative locations. The library,
the stores,
The Anglican cathedral, beneath its
“sacred” floors.
Eventually I realised the problem was
with me.
I never would locate Him; my search
should never be,
Confined to a location. The focus was
too small,
To look in a locality for Him Who’s
all in all.
Job had the self-same problem, back in
antiquity.
He wanted to explain to God his little
tragedy.
He thought that if he found Him, that
he could make it clear,
That he had been mistreated. If only
He could hear,
And give him His attention; He’d sort
the whole thing out.
And put things back together, of that
he had no doubt.
Down throughout the ages, mankind has
thought the same.
Perhaps the Lord Almighty had changed
address and name?
Perhaps He was on holiday? But this
they knew for sure.
That He had all the answers and also
knew the cure.
But they had missed the reason, why He
could not be found.
They thought that they were innocent
and if God was around,
To try their little problem in the
courts of heaven above.
That He would find them innocent; and
they just needed love!
The truth is, if we really seek Him by
faith wholeheartedly,
Our search would be successful as sure
as sure can be.
For God is never hidden. No! He is all
around!
He promised, if we seek Him, He surely
will be found.
We needn’t go to Bethlehem, Jerusalem
or Rome.
He’s right where He’s needed. Our
heart is now His home.
He’s said He’ll never leave us. So why
is it we hunt?
He will not hide behind us; He’s
always way up front!
There is no need for stumbling,
complaining He has gone.
He won’t walk off and leave us alone to
carry on.
He’s also told us clearly, He will not
let us down.
Albeit we are living in the country or
in town.
We know the Holy Spirit our comforter
and guide,
Is busily preparing us to be His Holy
Bride.
Jim Strickland
Written 25th February 2012 |
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