Seeking God
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Psalm 24:5–6
Psalm 24:5–6
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude
God’s desire is that all people should seek after him and find him. Those who seek God with all their heart are rewarded, but those who fail to seek him do so to their eternal loss.
God’s heart is for people to seek him
God wants people to seek him
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.
11 Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.
19 Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.”
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.
16 ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles— all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken—
God calls people to seek him
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
God promises that people will seek him
4 “In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.
God promises to be found by those who seek him
17 “I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
God’s opportunity for seeking him is now and is restricted to this life
2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
Seeking God is an issue of the heart
Seeking God begins in the heart
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Examples of people seeking God
2 Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God.
3 He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.
4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands.
5 Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah’s towns. So Asa’s kingdom enjoyed a period of peace.
6 During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this time, for the Lord was giving him rest from his enemies.
7 Asa told the people of Judah, “Let us build towns and fortify them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the Lord our God, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they went ahead with these projects and brought them to completion.
The consequences of seeking God
It leads to life
7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
It leads to forgiveness
14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
It leads to blessing
3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude
It leads to provision
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
It leads to protection
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
It leads to understanding and wisdom
5 Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
It leads to renewed strength
30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
In Conclusion:
Consequences of not seeking God
Loss of life
13 They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman.
6 “Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.
7 They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth.
8 But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them.
9 You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in.
10 Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery.
Loss of salvation
155 The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees.
Have A Blessed Week!