Should we seek God’s blessings or seek His presence?
Welcome to the latest edition of my Blog!
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflecting on a song by Lauren Daigle, “First.” Click HERE to see a lyrics video.
Before I bring my need I will bring my heart
Before I lift my cares I will lift my arms
Another day starts. The alarm goes off, and we begin our journey for the day. What is surprising is what comes to mind when we open our eyes.
The morning meeting at work.
The job interview is in the afternoon.
How do I pay my rent due tomorrow?
The health of my loved ones.
We start to worry, and then we tune in to the morning news. How depressing, wow, how will I make it through this day?
Then, halfway through the day, someone tells us, “Trust God!” Then we start praying, asking God for help and guidance for our cares, troubles, and trials.
Can anyone relate to this?
When will we learn that we must seek God FIRST and His presence? We always attempt to manage our day without Him; when we fail, we seek Him. It is like putting the cart before the horse. God is not a genie that we rub a lamp, and He comes to grant us wishes.
God knows what we need before we ask. But do we give Him thanks for ALL that we have daily?
Do we pray to Him to give us our daily bread, or do we thank Him for our daily bread?
Do we seek Him first when we open our eyes after sleeping through the night?
In Jeremiah 29:11-13 we read:
“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 and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Let us seek God with ALL our hearts. Acknowledge God when we wake up. Give Him thanks and praise Him. We must ask Him to come to us, manage our day, and guide us. We must also walk in faith, knowing He is next to us. Trust Him with all of our cares and worries.
Peter wrote about this:
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5-6-7 NKJV
The word casting literally means, in Greek, to dump.
My Pastor in Cornerstone Church gave a sermon about JOY, on how joy depends not on our situation but on our attitude towards God. Happiness depends on our current happenings. Joy comes from God in any of our circumstances.
In Psalm 16:11 we read:
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 NKJV
Even if we have cares and worries, when we seek His presence and guidance, joy follows Him, and we experience this Joy and peace. There is no greater pleasure than to feel the presence of God!
In His presence, our worries and cares are no match.
Let us confess our sins, forsake our sins, and seek the Kingdom of God first, as Jesus put it:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV
What things?
Everything God knows you need!
How do we know God is present with us?
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3
God loves to be present with His people when we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). He inhabits (abides) in our praises. His joy follows Him. Let us start the day with praises and thanksgivings before bringing any requests.
Abba, Father!
Forgive us when we think You exist to give us things; instead, we live for Your glory, Lord. Father, teach us to approach the throne of grace humbly, giving thanks and praising you always, for You never fail. Like David wrote in Psalm 23, we trust you for our provisions, for we will not be in need when we trust you and live in obedience to your Holy Word.
In the name and authority of Jesus our Christ!
Amen!
To God, be the glory!
Everything was created By Him, For Him!
“THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU; THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE ON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU; THE LORD TURN HIS FACE TOWARD YOU AND GIVE YOU PEACE.” NUMBERS 6:24-25
Disclaimer
I write this blog as I get inspired by God. Consider this writing as a Bible study. Like the Bereans In Acts 17:10-11, search the Scriptures to determine whether what I write is so. Always consult with your church ministers about biblical matters. I am also not a professional writer, so some grammar or spelling errors may be. I try my best to write as efficiently as possible.
Your brother, In-Christ, Ricardo
I wrote this eBook as a quick study on the Holy Bible, God’s plans, and the spiritual battles we face daily.
On Amazon Kindle, you can download it here.
On Apple Books here.
If you would like a free epub copy, please email me. I wrote this book to teach about God and His plan, not to make money.
