Seeking God (part 2 of a 4-part series)

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6)

Whatever we focus on the most is what we ultimately become.

“What gains and sustains our attention will ultimately control our lives.” (Gordon Allport)

To know God, one must focus on Him. To focus on Him, one must first desire to seek Him. To seek Him, is to find Him. To find Him is the greatest experience of one's life.

We only find what we genuinely look for in life. The problem for most of us is that we are too distracted by the things of this world to even want to seek God. That's why the Psalmist encourages us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." To want to seek God more, we have to whet our appetites. The good news is that once we've tasted and found Him good, we will want more and more of Him.

I have found a lesson in the law of aerodynamics that has helped me to want seek God daily. The law of aerodynamics, stated simply, is a principal whereby the forward thrust of an aircraft creates airflow over specially-shaped wings which in turn produces lift. In other words, as the aircraft is propelled forward by its engines, the air flowing over the wings produces a vacuum which literally lifts the plane into the air. The faster the forward thrust, the greater the lift. Since this is a law of nature, it cannot be broken. Therefore, as long as the aircraft moves forward and conditions remain constant, it will remain aloft. It cannot fall!

Walking in God's Presence incorporates a similar immutable, spiritual law. As we move forward in the pursuit of God, we are drawn into His Presence by our forward motion. The closer we move toward Him, the more of His Presence we experience and the more we desire to be with Him. As long as we continue to move forward, we can expect to remain in His Presence. In other words, the more we seek Him, the more of Him we will find.

If you seek Him, He will be found by you.
(2 Chronicles 15:2)

Seeking God results in:

• Restoration (Job 8:6)
• Praise (Psalms 22:26)
• Life (Psalms 69:32)
• Joy (Psalms 70:4; 105:3)
• Blessing (Psalms 119:2)
• Rewards (Hebrews 11:6)

Consequences of not seeking God

• Futility and terror (Psalms 78:33)
• Death (Psalms 78:34)
• God will not answer or be found (Proverbs 1:28)
• God's wrath (Isaiah 13:13)
• Disaster (Isaiah 31:2)
• Misery (Hosea 5:15)
• Alienation from God (Zephaniah 1:4)

One of the best ways to remain in God's Presence is to practice it daily.

“There is not in this world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.” (Brother Lawrence, from Practicing the Presence of God)[1]

Webster defines practice as “doing or performing habitually or customarily; making a habit of.” We need to make seeking God a daily habit in our lives.

One must also seek:

• God's strength (1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalms 105:4)
• His commands (1 Chronicles 28:8; Malachi 2:7)
• His name (Psalms 83:16)
• His face (Psalms 27:8; 105:4)
• His precepts (Psalms 119:45, 94)
• His Word (Isaiah 34:16)
• To do what He commands (Zephaniah 2:3)
• Righteousness (Zephaniah 2:3)
• Humility (Zephaniah 2:3)
• Christ (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:15, 16)
• His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)
• His Righteousness (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31)
• Honor, which comes from Him (John 5:44)
• Justification by Christ (Galatians 2:16)
• The city which God has prepared (Hebrews 11:10, 16; 13:14)

“But when we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy Presence, and set Him always before us, this not only hinders our offending Him and doing anything that may displease Him, at least willfully, but it also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, wherewith we ask, and that successfully, the graces we stand in need of. In fine, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the Presence of God rendered as it were natural to us." (Brother Lawrence)

Seeking God and remaining in His Presence is the best way to enjoy Him and to keep from offending Him, but it's also the best way to ensure that all of our needs are met in Him.


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