Whom are you seeking?

Whom are you seeking?

John 20: ¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

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Needing guidance, I sought to find a mentor. I asked people who their mentor’s were and they held back the true name of their guide. Finally one person told me their mentor’s name. I approached the person and formed a quick relationship. The guidance was great for business.

• I have sought people to guide my career.
• I have sought people to guide my intellectual growth.
• I have sought people to guide my hobbies, vacations and repairs.

Mary was looking for JESUS’s body. JESUS asks her “Whom are you seeking?” as if to imply she was looking for some help from someone. When HE revealed who HE was, she was elated! Her search had truly come to fruition.

• GOD wants me to seek HIM daily.
• GOD wants me to search for HIS guidance in every situation.
• GOD wants me to be excited when I see HIS power turn hearts back to HIM.

Seeking GOD is the best thing I can do every day. But what about living? Yes, I have to make a living to eat and pay bills, but that does not have to stop me from seeking GOD each day. In fact, GOD enables me to sit and ponder HIS blessings HE has provided over my life.

HE sends me to people who are seeking HIM. Sometimes HE sends people to me when I am not seeking HIM. GOD is gracious and JESUS pours out HIS blessings by bringing me into HIS family. For that, I am truly grateful.

• Whom are you seeking?
• Are you looking for guidance from a few humans?
• Will you seek spiritual guidance from GOD who knows all, sees all and is everywhere you can go?

Finding

Finding

John 15: ⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

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When I “found” the new job, I was excited. I was making two dollars more than the last job and I could work twenty hours a week instead of twelve. I could finally fix my car! I told everyone about the job I “found.”

• One time I was searching for something and thought a job could fill it.
• One time I was seeking something and thought I could fill it with more money.
• One time I was longing for something and thought the problems would go away if I had more money.

JESUS says again “I AM the vine, you are the branches.” HE then tells them to “bear fruit.” If we bear fruit, it is only because JESUS lives in us. Those who do not bear fruit will be cast out. This scared me.

• JESUS says to me “do not worry for I AM with you always.”
• JESUS says to me “do not be afraid.”
• JESUS says to me “you live in me and I live in you. Go make disciples of all nations, and teaching them.”

GOD wants me to bear fruit. In other words, HE wants me to point my life to HIM, not towards more buildings that “will” get burned down. HE desires to be the only message and sadly, that message is dissipating. JESUS is the primary message that needs to be preached to the lost.

HE “found” me and HE wants me to “find” others. HE sends me to seek HIS kingdom first, and if anything gets in the way of finding HIS people, I can ask and it will be given to me. This message is about bearing GOD’s fruit, not fulfilling human ego and lusts. I am grateful GOD enables me to bear HIS fruit.

• What is your primary message?
• Have you mentioned programs, church names and buildings, but have not mentioned JESUS?
• Will you make JESUS your primary message without thinking people need to be “fixed” first?

Knowing it All

Proverbs 13: ¹³ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,
    but whoever respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death.

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Whenever someone came to me with a question, I had an answer. It felt good knowing all there was to know about my department. In fact, I knew it all about everything. But one day, GOD changed my circumstances and I found out just how much I knew. For the first time in a long time I had to swallow my pride and go out and ask questions. It seemed like the simplest tasks were hard and I struggled.

• My pride makes me not hear.
• My desire to be on top makes me blind to instruction.
• My “know it all” attitude makes me scorn instruction.

Giving instruction is easy, but grasping instruction is usually harder when I want to be the “answer person.” It feels great to be the go to person and not so great being the person who is in need. BUT GOD says different.

• GOD says to me, “I will bless you for seeking.”
• GOD says to me, “Ask and you will be given.”
• GOD says to me, “I will give you the right words at the right time.”

I no longer have to be the answer person. GOD is the one who provides me with instruction. HE sends the right people to me at the right time where I can find many answers. This keeps me from thinking I am on my own. As long as I have ears to hear, I can get instructions that will help me grow.

• Are you avoiding instruction?
• Do you think you know it all?
• Can you ask GOD to send people to you that you can hear from?
• Will you drop your guards in order to hear sound instructions GOD has for you?

Understanding Jealousy

Psalm 73: ²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.

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This weekend I was reminded of the many junk cars I drove. It seemed like I was on the side of the road more than moving forward. Once as my car showed the usual signs of failure I pulled over, got out and watched all of the people in fancy cars whiz by. This time I was a bit bitter as I looked at the face of a driver of an expensive car and watched him turn his head as he drove past. “Why do they seem to have no problems and all I have is problems?” I thought jealously.

• Jealousy enters my heart when I compare myself to others.
• Jealousy enters my heart when I am not satisfied or content.
• Jealousy enters my heart when I look at others, wanting what they have.

The real question I’m asking is “Why am I not the wealthy person driving past the poor sole on the side of the road?” I mean would I stop? Would I help if I were rich? No! How do I know… because I have been there too. Being rich brings on challenges that cause me to ignore the poor and protect my wealth at all costs. BUT GOD has shown me something different.

• GOD says to me “Do not love money because it will generate all kinds of evil you do not even know.”
• GOD says to me “Hearts are deceptive and wicked, only I can know it.”
• GOD says to me “Seek MY kingdom first”
• GOD says to me “I will guide you with MY counsel.”

Instead of seeking what someone else has, I should quiet down and ask, “What do you want me to do right now?” GOD has me here for a wonderful reason, one that I cannot ignore. HE opens my eyes to HIM when jealousy tries to blind me. HE shows me that being connected to HIM and going through a difficult situation is far better than being without HIM and thinking my wealth will save me.

GOD does not like when I am arrogantly wealthy nor does HE like a pouting jealous poor rant from me. HE does however appreciate when I acknowledge HIS supremacy, HIS love and HIS mercy for me.

• Are you jealous of something or someone?
• Do you envy certain groups of people and wish for their demise?
• Can you stop wasting your time looking at others and look to GOD who has called you into this situation?
• Will you truly praise GOD for where HE has you and get started on the mission HE has for you?

Where Advice Comes From

2 Kings 1: ² Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’

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“Should I…” are the words I have said on many occasions. The problem with these unsure words is that they were pointed in the wrong direction. “Should I sneak out of the house?’ was pointed at other teens who had done this and “gotten away with it.”

• Sometimes I seek advice from those who are not following GOD in order to join the crowd.
• Sometimes I seek advice from the fearful and they add their worries on me.
• Sometimes I seek advice from the rich and powerful in order to be more like them.

GOD’s way is definitely not my way. HE does not want me to bow down to gods of money, power and fame so the source of my advice should be different.

• GOD wants me to seek HIS kingdom first so HE can say “No” or “Yes” to my request.
• GOD wants me to ask HIM for everything since HE owns everything.
• GOD wants me to see if I am following HIS plan, not my own.

Even the tiniest decision can be run by GOD. HE can handle it. HE wants total dependence on HIM and reliance on HIS power. Authority is given once I ask GOD “what should I do in this situation?” When HE has first right of refusal then HIS guidance is far better than any human advice.

• Whose advice are you seeking?
• Do you check “churchy” advice by comparing it to what GOD says?
• In your prayers for situations and stuff, do you ask GOD “what do you want?”
• Can you seek what GOD wants for you today?