“For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, Seek Me that you may live.” (Amos 5:4, NIV).
Seek God to Live The verse from Amos speaks of God’s call to seek Him and thus live. What really does it mean to seek God? One could consider this to be an invitation to grow in Him and thus find life. The Word of God is simple in its assurance- everything will fall in place when we seek Him. Men of God such as David and Paul were consumed in their desire of the Lord (Psalm 27:4). What is it that made David desire God so ardently? A reading of Psalm 27 verse 8 reveals the answer. “When Thou didst say, “Seek My face, “my heart said to Thee, Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek, (Psalm 37:4). David inclined his heart unto God. When God wants His will, He places His desires in our heart, that our desires will be one with Him When things fall apart It is when our eyes are fixed on our circumstances, family, work and social life that things fall apart. Fear and sight are opposite of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The psalmist entreats for the favour of God with all his heart that he may be dealt with graciously according to His word (Psalm 119:58). We too should set our hearts hard after Him and rest in His promises. To seek God is to Know His Nature Seeking the face of God means that we are willing to face up to His nature. He is the God of holiness, love and faithfulness. If we read Isaiah 30:10-12, it reveals how the people of Israel preferred to be comforted by false visions and prophecies rather than hear truly what the Holy One of Israel desired of them.
They did not want to face up to God. The truth of the matter is that when we face up to God, His holiness and our weakness become evident (Hebrews 12:14). When you speak by the Spirit, you will say no to sin. Our God longs to have compassion upon us (Isaiah 30:18) and it is His promise that in repentance and rest we will find our salvation and in quietness and trust in Him, we will find strength (Isaiah 30:15).
Our confidence is not in our flesh or our works but in Jesus in whom we have the perfect High Priest, Who intercedes for us before the Father (Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 4:14, 15, 16, NIV). To seek God is to Face up to His Word Those who want to face up to God must be willing to face up to His Word (Psalm 119:11; 165). Psalm 119 speaks of the benefits of seeking God in the scriptures. When we do this we will be a people who will be the healing for the nations. To seek God is to Rest in Him Our future is secure in His hands. Let the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him (Deuteronomy 33:12; Micah 5:4, 5).
Paul in his epistle to the Philippians says, “…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV). It must be our heart’s desire to echo Paul’s satisfaction in having fought the good fight, having finished the course and having kept our faith (2 Timothy 4:7-8). We must be Kingdom people longing for His coming again, to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (2 Peter 3:10-14). Fragrant Aroma of Christ To be the people who belong to the God of holiness is to live as witnesses, such that in our midst He will be proved holy (Ezekiel 36:23). Even as we deliver the good news of salvation in our Christ, we are called to live by seeking first His righteousness (Mathew 6:33). The Kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking (Romans 14:17) and neither is it about mere talk. The Kingdom of God is about manifesting the power of the message of Cross in our lives (1 Corinthians 5:20). We must also seek to know His will for our life. In Christ, we are called to triumph over our sins and manifest through our lives the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14, 15).
Author: Mr. R. Rajkumar is an Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer. He is a Bible teacher and revival preacher.
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