Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV)
When I was growing up in Pennsylvania, every Christmas it was a tradition for my brother and me to accompany Dad on our annual Christmas tree hunt. One Saturday morning, a couple of weeks before Christmas, we would dress in warm clothes and drive to my uncle’s place.
Then we would trudge out into the snow looking for that year’s perfect tree among my uncle’s ten acres of Christmas trees. This tradition started when I was six years old and continued into my teens.
While looking for the tree, the three of us would play a game called “Bear.” My Dad would be the bear. He would disappear into the trees and then my brother and I would seek for him by following his tracks in the snow.
The object was for us to find our Dad before he jumped out and “got” us. We didn’t want to be eaten by the bear. Kern and I would diligently follow our Dad’s tracks as it wove through the trees.
Every year my Dad would “get” us before we could find him. When he “got” us, we would wrestle in the snow and have a grand time. As I look back on our game of “Bear” from an adult perspective, I realize my Dad didn’t make it too difficult to find him. He wanted us to find him.
Seeking the Lord
The Lord is the same way. He wants us to find Him. When He says for us to seek Him, He makes it easy to find Him, because He wants to be found by us. God knows our well-being, security and safety are only provided through Him.
This word seek in the Hebrew means not only to seek, but to ask of, examine, and require. It especially speaks of prayer and worship. This Hebrew word carries with it the meaning of continuously doing this.
Not only do we seek the Lord, but we also seek His strength. Our strength comes from His power. His power is in us through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is the power Jesus spoke of in Acts 1:8.
Imagine what your life would be like without God’s presence and strength. It is His presence that provides peace, guidance, and abundant life. His strength provides the power to live free of sin and to experience victory.
We must seek the Lord continuously each day. This is not a casual experience but must be a familiar experience. It is in Him we live, move, and have our being.
Prayer
Father, I commit myself to not only daily seeking you, but continuously seeking you. I need your presence in my life. I don’t seek you for what you can do alone, but I seek you for who you are. You have provided me with daily strength and power. I know that your presence goes with me throughout my day, just as you did with the Israelites in the desert. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Additional Scriptures
Malachi 3:1, Matthew 6:33; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Acts 17:27; Hebrews 11:6; James 4:8; Jeremiah 29:13; Proverbs 8:17; Psalms 9:10; Psalm 14:2
Would you like to learn more about seeking the Lord? Here are some other of my articles to help you.
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Renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores the power of prayer.
Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.
With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.
Dr. Keller’s previous books have sold more than one million copies. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church is not only a major presence in his home base of New York, it has also helped to launch more than two hundred fifty other churches in forty-eight cities around the world. His teachings have already helped millions, the majority of whom pray regularly. And with Prayer, he’ll show them how to find a deeper connection with God.
Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the kingdom of God here on earth.
It is the art of “practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.” He often stated that it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our souls. We must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence.
As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned an important lesson through each daily chore: The time he spent in communion with the Lord should be the same, whether he was bustling around in the kitchen—with several people asking questions at the same time—or on his knees in prayer.
He learned to cultivate the deep presence of God so thoroughly in his own heart that he was able to joyfully exclaim, “I am doing now what I will do for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart.”
This unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day.
