There is nothing more exciting and adventurous than living life under God's direction. We may not truly know where we are going or how we will get there, but no matter what happens along the journey, we can know that it is our best interest and that God will see us through.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come to pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all of your heart."
When I read that Scripture, I was excited to know that God has a great plan for me to give me hope and a future, and that when I pray, He will listen. As I thought about what it means to seek God with all my heart, I thought about relationships with others, especially with the opposite sex. I can only speak from a woman's perspective.
When a man and a woman meet each other and find each other interesting and attractive, they start to pursue a relationship. As they do, it seems as if other people and activities pale in comparison to the time vested into your person of interest. You want to spend time with them and learn all about them. As you do, your relationship grows and your love for each other grows. You feel a commitment towards that person and a willingness to put that person first in your life.
So when I think of seeking the Lord with all my heart, I think of the human example mentioned above. Am I pursuing a relationship with God as fervently as I would a relationship with another person? How much time do I spend with the Lord? Am I trying to learn as much about Him and His character as I can?
As I begin to fall in love with Him, I draw closer to Him. That's exciting because He said in John 15:4,5, "Remain in Me and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." There's nothing I like better than the idea of the Lord abiding in me to lead me and guide me in the way I should go so that He can touch and minister to people through me.
As I reflect on my life, I realize that God has loved me with an everlasting love, even before I acknowledged Him. He has been patient and gracious to me. In the years since I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and pursued a relationship with Him, I have been aware of miraculous ways He has worked in and through my life. (Many of those examples are reflected in the posts I have made since I started this website.) I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to develop a relationship with our Lord, the creator of all the universe.
It seems that some people are hesitant to accept Christ as their Savior. They feel as if they would have to give up something that is important to them, or that they know what is best for themselves. If you are one of these people, I encourage you to pursue a relationship with God. You don't have to be afraid. I have heard that in the Bible, there are 365 times that it is said, "Fear not" or "Do not fear". I guess God realized that we needed to hear that everyday so that we can be encouraged to go forward without fear as we pursue a relationship with Him. The following Scriptures are just two examples
Deuteronomy 31:8 " The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
When I thought about how I could repay the Lord for all the good He had done for me, I realized that it would be impossible to do so, since He is the creator of everything. And then I realized that all God wanted was for me to love Him and have a relationship with Him, which would be manifested by me giving up my ways and following His commands. At that moment, I said, "Yes!" and never looked back. To me it was a win-win situation. God had what He wanted and He provided and continues to provide for all that I need. Praise the Lord!
So, how about it? Are you looking for a great adventure in your life? Are you looking for joy, peace, hope and love? Follow Jesus. In Matthew 6:33, Scripture says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." As I mentioned in a previous post, one day I was thinking about this Scripture, and I felt as if God said, "If you will put Me first in your life, I will put everything in order." Since my life was in a shambles at the time, I considered that to be a great offer. I put God first in my life, and He put everything in order. Hallelujah!
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