Our deepest desires. These are the aspects of our being that define who we are. They show why we do the things we do. They point to the most important part of our existence... our heart.
I Kings2 Tells us several things about Seeking God.
1. A purposeful decision to find God grants us diligence.
Elisha purposed, in the second verse of IKings 2, to seek God; Because he purposed to find God when the time came for him to compromise he was diligent. He was given a decision to follow the man of God or to stay home with the comforts and pleasures that this life had to offer him: but He chose God. This shows us that seeking God diligently takes self denial.
2. A Diligence in seeking God grants us the ability to see miracles take place, allows us to successfully ask God for what we want most, allow us to have a promise from God, gives us the ability to see the promise, and give us the belief we need to have the promise come to pass. IKings 2:7-13Because Elisha diligently sought God, he was able to see Elijah part the Jordan river. After Elisha crossed the river with the man of God, Elijah asks him what he wants. At this point Elisha is given the choice of anything He wants or God. Elisha requested a double portion, though; because that is what he purposed in his heart to have from God. Elisha sees Elijah when he is taken up to heaven and is given belief in that promise made to him. As Elijah's mantle is pick up by Elisha, Elisha is showing us that he had taken hold of that promise through belief. Only when we are willing to diligently seek God, will we be able to pray with the passion and earnestness we should... for the right things. When we truly want God and our hearts our determined to find Him,(after we have requested that which we desire most) will we have the ability to hear God's promise. After we go through this, because we have heard the promise we will be able to see it. When we are far from God and we pray for things to happen, they normally don't; only when we hear and see God's promise, will we then be given the belief we need to take hold of that promise in our hearts.
3. Belief in God's promises will grant us the the ability to take hold of the promises of God, to step out in faith, the ability to succecfully call upon God to give us power, and see miracles performed by God through us. Once Elisha believed, he was able to take hold of the promise of God. He took up Elijah's mantle. Only when Elisha took hold of the promise, was he able to step out in faith and smite the Jordan river, calling down the power of God. Then he was able to see the miracle take place! When we have belief in God, it will allow us to take hold of the promises He grants every believer in His word. God wants us to use those promises, that is why He put them in His word; but until we can believe God, will we actually be able to take hold of those promise, giving us the ability to call upon God to perform miracles in His name.
Lastly. The ability to perform miracles in God's name will cause others to see, believe, and be saved. Elisha smites the waters and people see him do it. They see that the spirit of Elijah is upon Elisha. Because these people could see God in Elisha, they came to him for help, believing that he would help them. Elisha was able to clean the water and save the people from death and illness. The people were saved, because they first were able to see God in Elisha. When people can see God in our lives they will come to us for help... and because we have the faith we need in God, they will also. But when we look, act, and sound like the world, God is hindered from using us in the way would, then if we were fully surrendered to Him in every area of our lives. When we have the power of God in our lives, we will see the miracle of others saved and we will be the ones that God will use.
This was a very small portion of what I got out of my devotions. The Lord showed me that if I want to be used of God, I must seek God diligently. Once we have our hearts right with God, then we must determine to diligently seek Him. Only when we diligently seek God, will God be able to begin using us in the way He desires.
Do you want a double portion?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Where is Your Treasure?
For many it would be family and friends Most would save their fashions or trends, But where I ask is your treasure?When God requested that man give Him one thing, He didn't ask for his hands to work, serving his King; He didn't ask for his mouth, that for Him he might speak;But He asked for something for which he did seek. He said " ... my son give me thine heart..." One might ask and say, " Why did God ask for that?""Why didn't God ask for his hands, his feet, or even his body?The heart doesn't matter... it is only important that you serve him, giving every moment of your time."That is what most people would say, though very much wrong.
That is what most people have given, but why have they stopped serving or stop loving others? Why are most of them living their own life, gone? Where are those teens who surrendered their hands to do whatever God wanted for them? Where are those people who once joyed in giving their time to the service of God?
Since when did Christians become self centered, leaving the work of the Lord?
They surrendered themselves to do the work of the Lord...But they never surrendered their heart.
Today more then ever I see "Christians living for self." One can see by the way they act when they are at church. One can see by the ways they choose to live... once they were on fire for God and loved to talk about the things of God, but not any more. Most of them just leave that avenue of their walk with God. The Bible tells us, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21 It isn't what we do with our hands, where we go with our feet, or what say with our mouth. For those are all by products of what is in our heart. God said, " My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." Proverbs 23:26 God asked for your heart! " Keep thy heart with ALL DILIGENCE; for out of it are the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23
Who or what holds possession of your heart? Who is it that sits on your throne? When someone asks you what( or who) you love most ... what first pops into your mind? Is it the things of the Lord, spending time in His word, walking with Him, or anything that would pertain to Him? I dare say that many of us would be ashamed to stand before God this moment, because our heart is not His. Christian!!!! This is not a suggestion that God is giving us in proverbs 23:26. this isn't just some idea God is trying to give us. It is a command! we are commanded to give God EVERY area of our heart!
When the Bible talks about the great men of God who did great things for God, the bible always states that their heart was perfect with God. After Solomon was finished building the house of God God said this to him, "And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness..." I Kings 9:3-4 God mentions that David had a good heart. In the Bible it also talks of how Daniel's heart was perfect with God. " Let your heart therefore be perfect with the lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day." I Kings 8:61 The word perfect means;" whole-hearted-ness for God, single-mindedness, sincerity- NOT sinless perfection"
God commands you to give Him your heart. Where is it? Is your heart perfect with God this at moment? If not why? Who (or what) is the treasure of your heart? "... out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.." What do you spend most of your time talking about? Who do you spend most of your time talking with? You see God could care less if you work on a bus route, sing in the choir, clean the church, obey your parents, go soul wining, give to the poor, pay your tithes and offering, or do whatever you think is good. Those things are good, but if your heart doesn't belong to God, if you have something that is more important to you then God; then it wouldn't matter if you never sinned with your hands and you did good works the rest of your life. Because God first commands that we give Him our heart, before we serve Him. When we give our heart to God, the rest will fall into place; but when we try to serve Him, without giving Him our hearts, that is when everything will eventually fall out of place. That is why most "Christians" live the way they want. They don't care about anything, but helping at church functions, then living the rest of their lives for themselves. Why? Because their heart belongs to something or someone else. Where is your heart today... who is the treasure of your heart? May God be the Lord of our hearts. God demands our love, our life, and our all; but it is our love He first and foremost demands. When God becomes the Lord of our heart, it is only then that He can be Lord of our life.
That is what most people have given, but why have they stopped serving or stop loving others? Why are most of them living their own life, gone? Where are those teens who surrendered their hands to do whatever God wanted for them? Where are those people who once joyed in giving their time to the service of God?
Since when did Christians become self centered, leaving the work of the Lord?
They surrendered themselves to do the work of the Lord...But they never surrendered their heart.
Today more then ever I see "Christians living for self." One can see by the way they act when they are at church. One can see by the ways they choose to live... once they were on fire for God and loved to talk about the things of God, but not any more. Most of them just leave that avenue of their walk with God. The Bible tells us, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21 It isn't what we do with our hands, where we go with our feet, or what say with our mouth. For those are all by products of what is in our heart. God said, " My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." Proverbs 23:26 God asked for your heart! " Keep thy heart with ALL DILIGENCE; for out of it are the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23
Who or what holds possession of your heart? Who is it that sits on your throne? When someone asks you what( or who) you love most ... what first pops into your mind? Is it the things of the Lord, spending time in His word, walking with Him, or anything that would pertain to Him? I dare say that many of us would be ashamed to stand before God this moment, because our heart is not His. Christian!!!! This is not a suggestion that God is giving us in proverbs 23:26. this isn't just some idea God is trying to give us. It is a command! we are commanded to give God EVERY area of our heart!
When the Bible talks about the great men of God who did great things for God, the bible always states that their heart was perfect with God. After Solomon was finished building the house of God God said this to him, "And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness..." I Kings 9:3-4 God mentions that David had a good heart. In the Bible it also talks of how Daniel's heart was perfect with God. " Let your heart therefore be perfect with the lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day." I Kings 8:61 The word perfect means;" whole-hearted-ness for God, single-mindedness, sincerity- NOT sinless perfection"
God commands you to give Him your heart. Where is it? Is your heart perfect with God this at moment? If not why? Who (or what) is the treasure of your heart? "... out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.." What do you spend most of your time talking about? Who do you spend most of your time talking with? You see God could care less if you work on a bus route, sing in the choir, clean the church, obey your parents, go soul wining, give to the poor, pay your tithes and offering, or do whatever you think is good. Those things are good, but if your heart doesn't belong to God, if you have something that is more important to you then God; then it wouldn't matter if you never sinned with your hands and you did good works the rest of your life. Because God first commands that we give Him our heart, before we serve Him. When we give our heart to God, the rest will fall into place; but when we try to serve Him, without giving Him our hearts, that is when everything will eventually fall out of place. That is why most "Christians" live the way they want. They don't care about anything, but helping at church functions, then living the rest of their lives for themselves. Why? Because their heart belongs to something or someone else. Where is your heart today... who is the treasure of your heart? May God be the Lord of our hearts. God demands our love, our life, and our all; but it is our love He first and foremost demands. When God becomes the Lord of our heart, it is only then that He can be Lord of our life.
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