Is It Truly Our Desire?

I Chronicles 28:9 [9] “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."

If we seek Him, He will be found. In Jeremiah 29:13, he wrote to those exiled in Babylon telling them that if they sought the Lord with all their heart, they would find Him. In the New Testament, James 4:8 tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Stop and think about the undeserved privilege we have in Christ, that each of us can truly have an intimate relationship with God, if we so desire. The Apostle John was "the disciple Jesus loved". When we consider that any one of the disciples could have been that disciple, we only see John leaning on Jesus, and the only one at the foot of the cross, when Jesus was crucified. Today, those of us who seek the Lord with all our heart, will have the opportunity to experience a close and intimate relationship with Jesus. Sadly, what is mostly seen today is a Chistianity that treats God like a "genie in a bottle" who we summons whenever life goes sideways, or we are looking to gain a worldly blessing. We say that we love God, but we never seem to have time for Him. The real reason being that we don't make time for Him, because we don't truly want to seek Him. So what will it take to have an intimate relationship with the God of the universe? It will take our willingness to commit and submit. It begins with having a true relationship with Jesus; receiving Him as Savior and Lord. It means that He becomes a real priority in our lives. What does that look like, you ask? It means that we seek Him early in the morning, even if it means that we go to bed earlier, so that we can rise earlier; and if that's not possible, it may mean that in the afternoon or evening, we set time apart to be in His Word and in prayer. Yes, that may mean putting down our phones and not playing a video game. It might mean not watching a sporting event or a TV series. It means that we will actually have to make every effort to be doers of the Word, and not just hearers. It means that we actually stop and consider our words and attitudes when dealing with others, and making a real effort to allow Him to increase in our lives, and we decrease; so that others see more of Him and less of us. Much of this will not be easy, at first, but because we have God's Spirit, it's not impossible. Do we really want true intimacy with our God and Savior? Then it's time to stop making excuses and start making a true effort. The level of intimacy we have with our God will depend on the level of desire and effort we put forth, in Christ, and by His Spirit.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on the Name of Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation (Romans 10:13).