Blog Layout
Seek the Lord
Andrea Lende • March 22, 2021
Deuteronomy 4:29 and 31
Seek the Lord
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Seek-the-Lord-et7td4
Deuteronomy 4:29 and 31
“But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life.”
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you or destroy you or forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them.”
Moses lived to be one hundred twenty years old.
He lived as royalty for his first forty years and lived in exile for the next forty years.
He was eighty years old when he confronted Pharoah.
He spent his remaining forty years on this planet leading God’s people around the mountain as the Lord commanded.
He experienced God in such a magnificent way.
He was taught and encouraged by Him.
Moses walked on holy ground per God’s request.
The Lord talked to Moses and gave him instructions for His people.
And Moses was faithful to the Lord.
He had a pure heart of reverence for God.
His desires were to please the Lord, always.
In our passage today Moses was giving the Israelites some final thoughts and encouragement before they would go into the promised land without him.
His greatest desire was for them to experience the Lord in the way he had.
He wanted all good things for them, their children, and the generations to come.
He told them to seek the Lord.
Seek God with their entire being.
Their hearts, souls, minds, and their lives.
Sounds a lot like the Greatest Commandment given by Jesus.
If they did seek the Lord, they would find everything they would ever need for this lifetime and beyond.
They would find His love, His mercy, and His Wisdom.
They would be fully God’s and remain in the Lord’s care forever and be safe in all ways.
The Lord loved His people.
And just as He loved His people thousands of years ago, He loves us today.
He is right beside us lifting us up when we need Him, providing for us in all ways, and keeping watch over us day and night.
Today I choose to seek the Lord with all my heart, soul, and my life as Moses encouraged.
May you find that in fully seeking the Lord, you will find Him in all His magnificence and love.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to seek You with all my heart, mind, soul, and life. Thank You for Your Word which breathes life into my heart. Thank You that I am able to read about Your people and the ones You brought into Your inner circle. I desire to learn more about You and glean the Wisdom You infused into their hearts. Help me seek You with my entire being so I can learn more of You and Your ways. Help me carry out the plans You have for me. Help me care for the people You ask me to care for and follow You more closely, Father. Do not let me miss You. Help me hear You and be obedient to You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM teaching you as you seek Me My child and will always be with you.
Response: Keep me Yours, Lord, keep me Yours.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.