Earnestly I Seek You

When you have a best friend, boyfriend, or close family member, someone you spend a lot of time with, you know them. 

You know the sound of their voice, their footsteps, even what their keys sound like as they walk around the corner. You can finish their sentences and you know exactly how they would react to certain situations. You can tell within seconds if their day was good or bad and with a glance you know exactly what occurred to put them in that good or bad mood. You know what their car looks like, what they are allergic too, or whether or not they like lemon in their water. I think you get the point that when you spend a lot of time with someone, you know them.


It's amazing to me that God knows every single detail of my life, and more. However, what is unfathomable to me is that he knows EVERY person's life to this great detail. He knows the distinct sound of every persons laugh and cry. (Psalm 18:6; 40:1) He knows our finger prints and how many hairs are on our head. (Luke 12:7) He counts every tear that falls and collects them in jars. (Psalm 56:8) He knows are coming in and going out. (Psalm 139:1-3) He delights in knowing us, and He has revealed Himself so that we might know Him!


This is extremely crazy to me because I don't know about you, but I definitely don't have anything to offer God. He has it all, yet he yearns to know me. That is ridiculously insane.


We have such reason to delight in him, to soak up his word and learn his thoughts. He has given us such a tool with the bible. He wants us to learn His thoughts, finish His sentences, to know His voice, His footsteps, and the sound His keys make when He walks. He wants us to be angry at what He is angry at, and be full of joy at what gives Him joy.


It is my life's desire to know God, and what an indescribable privilege it is that He has given us that opportunity. Don't take that for granted. I pray I won't.

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld you power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." (Psalm 63:1-3)

"Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you." (Isaiah 26:8)

"Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 43:4-5)

There is a time...

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life so far is to remember my deepest sorrow during times of joy and to praise God for both.


"There is a time for everything and...He has made everything beautiful in its time." -Ecclesiastes 3:1-11


God created a time for weeping and a time for laughing, a time to mourn and a time to dance.


And he made all of it beautiful.


I realized tonight as I was thinking through the things while playing vigorously at the piano in the back room, that God created sorrow to the glory of His name. He didn't create joy alone and then turn his face away from pain or sorrow.


He says He will comfort those who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2), increase the power of the weak (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), and give us rest for our souls (Matt. 11:28). He will strengthen the feeble hands, and steady the knees that give way (Isaiah 35:3-4). When my flesh fails, He is the strength of my heart, (Psalm 73:21-28), He is able to keep me from falling (Jude 6:24).


Those who who look to Him are radiant, He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:1-5; 18). The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (Psalm 51:17). He has turned my wailing into dancing and clothed me with joy so that I may give Him thanks forever (Psalm 30).


I could go on and on. He does all this so that we may display His splendor (Isaiah 61:3).

We serve an amazingly creative God. A God who's glory and divine nature are not hidden from us.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen." -Romans 1:20

Not only does He allow us to clearly see His glory, He allows us to take part. 

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long." -Psalm 71 (Read all of it)

When we are going through times of joy and gladness, God is glorified, but I am convinced that nothing warms His heart more than when we proclaim His goodness through the most difficult times of our lives. Our joy is to His glory. Our pain is to His glory. 

"We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and shield. In Him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." -Psalm 33

To Cherish like a Child

When I was a child, I didn't necessarily have to work for anything. I had food, water, shelter, and toys without me having anything to do with it. And when I think of being a child, I remember what was most important to me.


When I was about six or seven I went to my cousins house and she was going through her toys and decided on a pile of stuff animals she was going to throw away. In that pile there was a little brown bear with a little pink sleeping bag. I picked it up and asked her if she was going to throw it away and if I could have it. She said I could and from that moment on, "Holly" the bear never left my side.


I took her to the store and placed her in the shopping cart, Holly and I went to the library and I made sure to pick out a book her size, I read with her, I talked with her, I put her in her sleeping bag right next to me whenever I went to bed, and we had tea on many occasions. I think back to how much that precious bear meant to me, how much I cared for Holly, and what a big part of my life she was and I feel in awe. 


When I think back to Christ's words: "Have a childlike faith." I can't help but believe that He meant so much more than leaping with the fearlessness of a child. We are called to cherish Christ with everything we have. To spend every moment thinking about Him, to be eager to spend time with Him and he quick to give Him praise.


"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:2 NIV


The Message puts it this way: "Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble."


In Matthew 11, Jesus is speaking to people somewhat out of frustration because they were ignoring his messages and miracles and in the middle of speaking with them, He interrupts Himself to speak with God and says: "I praise you Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes Father, for this was your good pleasure."


Of all the religious leaders and wise men, no one could understand Jesus' message. But God revealed it in the hearts of little children, and it was His pleasure.


Matthew 18:2-6 "He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."


Mark 10:16 "And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."


Matthew 21:12 "Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?”

I didn't earn Holly. I didn't deserve Holly. I didn't pay for or trade for Holly. I never even looked or search for Holly, yet she was the most important thing to me as a child. I cherished that life-less beanie baby with all of my child heart.

How much more should I cherish Christ. 

How much more should I want Him to never leave my side. To go to the store with Him, to go to the library with Him, to read with Him, to talk with Him, to lie down with Him by my side at night, and to spend time in fellowship with Him over a cup of coffee.

We are called to be children of Christ in every aspect. To have the faith of a child, and to also have the gentleness, the loyalty, the compassion, and the boldness to cherish like that of a child.

1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"