“God . . rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV.
God is not reserved only for crisis management.
My thoughts and comments today are about “pursuing God with passion.”
Our culture is becoming incurably casual, as evidenced by our carelessness with language (both slang and profanity), lack of civility, immodest attire, diminishing social graces, collapse of marriages and families, and depreciation of religious faith in our communities and society. Casualness elevates one’s own preferences and interests above and before those of others. The result is diminishing community and elevation of individuality. The more serious problem comes not in the effects from our casual interactions with others but its corrosive effect on our reverence for God and His Word.
God rewards the spiritually earnest soul. The Bible says, “Anyone who comes to [God] must believe . . that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV. God Himself is their reward. Do the words, “earnestly seeking,” accurately describe your spiritual life right now? “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV. What would describe your pursuit of God? I have observed that people get earnest quickly when crises interrupt life – sickness, financial need, marriage or family disharmony, unemployment, spiritual barrenness, or such difficulties. God is not reserved only for crisis management.
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews poses inspiring examples: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, and others whose passion and pursuit of God was greatly noted and rewarded – “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, and turned to flight armies . .” Hebrews 11:33-34 NKJV.
Of such earnest seekers after God then and now, the Bible says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:16 NKJV. I do not want to live in a casual manner that would embarrass God for my name to be linked with His. I have long felt challenged to live and serve in a way that could include me in the company of those of whom it can rightly be said, “God is not ashamed.” There is a spiritual gravity to such earnest disciples of Jesus.
“I was very diligent . . exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 4:3 NKJV. Earnestness describes the exertion and effort required in the Grecian games, as also referenced by Paul. See 1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV. In doing so, Jude uses a Greek word, “agonizomai,” from which our English words, “agony and agonize,” derive. It refers to, “extreme exertion and struggle.”
God is not elusive, but neither is He available to the indifferent. With tears, Paul must have written, ”For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:21 NKJV. Loss of passion is as unworthy of God as is deliberate lack of passion. Read Isaiah 55:6 NKJV.
God’s Word provides the remedy; “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God . . Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.” Colossians 3:1-3 NKJV/ Hosea 10:12 NIV. Showers of righteousness!
My prayer for you today is that you are earnestly passionate in your pursuit of God.