What Does It Mean to Seek the LORD

"What Does It Mean to Seek The LORD?" Psalm 105:4 INTRO. David said in Psalm 63:1-4—“…O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” I want us to answer this question this evening, “What Does It Mean To Seek The LORD?" The last words of hymn writer Frances Ridley Havergal were, "Splendid! To be so near the gates of Heaven." Those were the farewell words of a short but useful life. Miss Havergal was born in Ashley, England in 1836. She showed an aptitude for poetry when she was only seven. She later trained in music, becoming proficient in playing the piano. She was very strong and healthy in her early years, but in her early twenties became ill and was confined to a wheelchair most of the rest of her life. Even in those trying years, she kept a cheerful attitude and was able to be a blessing to those with whom she came in contact. It is reported that she never once complained of her infirmities. One of her most popular songs came as a result of a visit to London for five days. She visited a home in which was a family of ten persons. Shortly after arriving, she found that several members of the household were unconverted, while others were not rejoicing Christians. She asked God to give her all in the house before she left. On the last night of her stay, the governess brought two daughters to her weeping. They were both deeply concerned about their spiritual welfare and were asking to see Miss Havergal. She was able to lead them to Christ. These two made the family circle complete. Miss Havergal later confessed that she stayed up most of the night rejoicing and re-consecrating her life to God. As the hours with God wore on the lines of a poem began to form in her mind, which later grew into this song: Take my life and let it be consecrated, LORD to thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in endless Praise. Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy Royal throne. Take my Love; my LORD, I pour at Thy feet its Treasure store; Take myself, and I will be, ever, only All for Thee. (Lindsay L. Terry. Devotions From Famous Hymn Stories. pp. 65-67). Seeking the LORD means Loving the LORD with all our heart, being loyal to His Words and commandments, and longing to be like Him in ALL we do! That's Consecration! Let us look at what it means to Seek The LORD! WHEN WE ARE SEEKING THE LORD, HE IS:

(1) THE ONLY PLACE OF OUR DEVOTION Psalm 105:4a—“Seek The LORD...” A. HE SHOULD BE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. Look at the word "seek" it is translated from a Hebrew word that means “to follow, to inquire after, and to worship diligently." Friend, let me ask you today, are you seeking the Lord in that fashion? Christ MUST be the supreme object of our devotion! In Matthew 22:36-38 we read, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” The word "devotion" means "ardent love and affection". The Lord commands in Matthew 6:33—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” ILLUS. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 1:21, Paul declares, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." This was displayed many times in Paul's life showing his great love for his Savior. There is a legend told of a rich merchant who scoured the Mediterranean world looking for the distinguished Apostle Paul. He encountered Timothy, who arranged a visit with Paul, who was a prisoner in Rome. Entering the jail cell, the merchant found a rather old man, physically broken down. The merchant was amazed at Paul's personal peace and serenity.. they talked for hours. The merchant left with Paul's blessing and prayer... Outside, the merchant inquired, "What is the key to Paul's power? I have never seen anyone like him in my entire life." "Haven't you figured it out?" asked Timothy, "Paul is in love.. Paul is in love with Jesus Christ." The man looked even more confused, "Is that all?" With a smile on his face, the young preacher answered, "Ah, but that is everything." (O. S. Hawkins. Revive Us Again. Nashville: Broadman Press. 1990. p. 107). B. HE MUST BE THE LORD OF MY LIFE. If I am His and He is mine, He SHOULD be the FIRST thing on my mind! Colossians 3:1-4 says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” So many Christians today are pursuing things other than the will of God for their lives! It may be possessions, popularity, position, or pleasure, but their focus is not on things above but on things below! Their attention is not on God but on self! Feeling better has become more important to us than finding God. - Larry Crabb in Finding God. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 8. We need more men and women today like Charles H. Spurgeon, Who in one point in his life said, "In forty years I have not spent fifteen waking minutes without thinking of Jesus." Friend, how often does the Savior cross your mind? Is He precious to you? 1 Peter 2:5 says, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious…”. Is that true of you today? Do you seek Him when you feel overwhelmed? Do you flee to His presence when you are lonely and discouraged? Do you see in Him your ALL IN ALL? (2) THE ONLY POWER FOR OUR DUTY Psalm 105:4b—“Seek …his strength...” A. HIS POWER IS AVAILABLE. The word "strength" used here is translated from a Hebrew word which means "power, boldness, and might". The Lord promises, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8). Where does our strength come from? Psalm 29:11 says, "The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace." 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” His power is available but is only useful to us when we take hold of it. ILLUS: How's your power source? Are you plugged in? In his book Spiritual Stamina, Stuart Briscoe tells the story of a man who bought a new computer. Bringing his new prize home, he carefully opened the box, gingerly took the machine out, studied its manual, and connected the wires. Eagerly he flipped on the power switch--but nothing happened. Puzzled, the man switched the computer off and rechecked all the connections. He rounded up a screwdriver and fastened the wires more securely. He read again the relevant portion of the manual. Satisfied that he'd followed directions, he flipped the computer on--and again nothing happened. As his anger rose the man's little girl walked into the room. "Hi, Daddy!" her cheery voice rang out. "What a pretty computer! Can I plug it in?" –Moody So often we are guilty of learning the Word of God yet not applying the Word to our lives and service and then we wonder why we lack spiritual power. B. HIS POWER MAKES OUR SERVICE ACCEPTABLE. We MUST rely on His power and strength, if we will ever serve God acceptably! Paul said in Ephesians 6:10 —“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” He reminds us in Philippians 4:13—“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Listen folks, We can't do ANYTHING apart from God! Jesus said in John 15:5—“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” “It doesn't take such a great man to be a Christian; it just takes all there is of him.” --Seth Wilson WE MUST REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN: (3) THE PROCESS OF DYING TO SELF Psalm 105:4c—“…seek his face evermore" A. THE DECISION NEEDED TO SEEK HIS FACE. There are three interesting words used here “seek" translated from a Hebrew that means “to search out and strive after", the word "face" which means "presence", and the word "evermore" that means "continually and perpetually". David wrote in Psalm 27:8—“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Listen friend, you seek God in your life as much as you desire to. It is your decision. But friend for you to seek God you must desire to do so! ILLUS: All people desire what they believe will make them happy. If a person is not full of desire for God, we can only conclude that he is engaged with another happiness. It's hard to love God wholeheartedly; we all know that. So why do we not remove as many hindrances as possible? -- William Law in Christian Perfection (a contemporary version by Marvin D. Hinton). Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 6. B. THE DEATH NEEDED TO SEEK HIS FACE. To "seek His face evermore…" we MUST DIE TO our own desires, wants, and biases, and live unto righteousness! Paul said in Galatians 2:20—“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31 —“I die daily...". Paul there was referring to the jeopardy he faced in his physical life on a daily basis. Spiritually, We must also; die daily to ourselves and live unto God or else we stand in jeopardy of our spiritual life suffering! In Romans 6:11-13 we read, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” We MUST GIVE OURSELVES TOTALLY to God! In Romans 12:1-2 Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This involves crucifying the flesh, but living in the Spirit! John said in John 3:30—“He MUST Increase, but I MUST decrease." To seek God this must be the ambition of our lives. Less of self and more of the Savior every day! “It is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.” --Henry Ward Beecher ILLUS: Any good gardener knows that beautiful roses require careful pruning. Pieces of a living plant have to die. It cannot just grow wild. We cannot simply "celebrate growth." It is more than to be regretted, it is tragic that we seem to have lost the insight that growth in Christ requires careful pruning. Pieces of us by our intentional action need to die if we are to become the person that is in God's vision. We are not cutting away a cancerous growth, but making room for intended growth.— Urban T. Holmes III in Spirituality for Ministry. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 2. CLOSING: 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Are you seeking the LORD today? Is He the ONLY devotion, your only power for service? Have you died to self so you could live unto righteousness? If not, now is the time to seek the LORD! Hosea 10:12 says, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”