Looking for What’s Necessary

Looking for What’s Necessary

Genesis 13: Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. ² Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

 

============

 

After months or years from being gone, Abram along with, Sarai, Lot and all the people who followed them, left Egypt and went back to the land GOD showed him. GOD informs Moses that Abram was “very rich.” Abram was given a lot of livestock by the Egyptians and he added it to his already vast empire.

 

Some of the Egyptians may have revered Abram and Sarai as gods because of the strange plagues that fell on them when seeking her. They dared not touch them, but sent them on their way. When Abram returned to the land, he “called on the name of the LORD.”

 

My Observations:

Abram was rich and powerful, yet he did not consider his status as acceptable.

Abram had all he wanted, but something was still missing.

Abram sought after the LORD, knowing HE was the answer to his heart’s desires.

 

After all the distractions were over, Abram seemed to be able to relax and call on the name of the LORD. His fears may have subsided as they settled in to the land GOD showed him. While he had a great number of possessions, he did not seem like the possessions had him. Something was missing. GOD.

 

He had been through famine, faltering with family, and falling to fear. None of his possessions could heal his hurt heart. He knew what he needed to look for. He sought the LORD as he had done in the past. Only the LORD could guide him.

 

Challenge

Why do you think GOD told Moses about Abram’s wealth?

Have you ever had more than enough and still called to GOD for direction?

Do you call on the name of the LORD for direction and also just to be with HIM?

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.

============

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?

Joining the mob

Joining the mob

John 18: ³⁹ “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰ Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

============

Hearing the cheering made me want to cheer. It was my first college football game and I could feel the excitement in the stadium. Years later I was in a group who complained, a lot. After a while I felt myself wanting to do the same. My verbiage had turned negative. I could feel the intensity in the building.

 

• I used to join in based on what was going on around me.
• I used to get emotionally involved even when I did not have all the facts.
• I used to absorb the energy of the crowd, even when the crowd was going in the wrong direction.

Pilate asked who he should release, JESUS or a known felon named Barabbas. The crowd did not care about prophecy concerning the Messiah coming to save the world. Nor did they care that JESUS was innocent. They began chanting “Barabbas” with the same excitement as being at a game. I wonder if I would have joined in.

• JESUS wants me to have a solid relationship with HIM so I cannot be swayed by misinformation.
• JESUS wants me to seek HIM daily so I cannot be fooled by deception.
• JESUS wants me to hear HIS voice through all the world’s chanting.

The world can be quite noisy. Cause after cause points out the misgivings of others daily. One cause pulls and the other pushes. BUT GOD wants me to seek HIM, not causes. HE wants me to listen to what JESUS did and explain to others HE is my Savior.

HE wants me to see beyond those who seek power, even in churches. GOD shows who sincerely seeks HIM and who wants HIS SON as their savior. HE sends me to them or them to me. GOD gives me purpose to reach those whom only I can reach.

• Are you following the crowd?
• Do you have less belief in GOD and more belief in the news?
• Will you give your life over to GOD and seek HIM daily so you can hear HIS small still voice?

Seeking by Lurking

Seeking by Lurking

John 7: ⁵And everyone went to his own house.

John 8: But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

============

Listening intently to every word, I wanted to catch this person in a lie, “I know they are guilty” I said to myself as I replayed events in my mind over and over. Something seemed strange this particular day when I saw the person. “This is the day I catch them in their lie” I thought. The person confessed their strange behavior on a very serious illness.

• There were times when I looked for something to be wrong with people.
• There were times when I watched people intently to see if they would fail.
• There were times when I sentenced people as guilty, then I watched them prove their guilt to me.

After the crowd left, JESUS went to the Mount of Olives, usually to pray. When HE returned HE was met by the church leaders who caught a woman in the act of adultery. They must have lurked behind her as she met with her lover or was the male someone they knew? Whatever the case, they did not accuse him.

Bringing her to JESUS, they demanded a biblical answer to trip HIM up. They sought failure for her and JESUS, hoping guilt would show their superiority.

• GOD wants me to seek people with grace, not guilt.
• GOD wants me to desire restoration for people, not reasons to leave them.
• GOD wants me to follow people to serve them, not harm them.

Motive for proving someone’s guilt is usually a problem with GOD. As I have said many times, “We are all in the mud, throwing mud at each other, saying ‘you have mud on your face’.” Pronouncing someone guilty, then watching them prove their guilt may be the very thing that makes me “guilty” before GOD.

HE wants me to admit my guilt to restore guilty people. Instead of lurking for superiority, HE wants me seeking people to bring back to HIM, gently. I am glad people were sent to bring me to HIM.

• Are you accusing others?
• Do you want to feel good about yourself by making someone else look guilty?
• Will you start seeking guilty people to gently bring them back to JESUS to save them and you today?

Starving

Starving

John 6: 2 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

============

After the party I announced “the party is at my place!” Everyone had a task to bring booze, music and food. We were going to continue what we started and be as loud as we wanted to be. I mean it was Saturday. I had nothing to do on Sunday.

• There were times when I fed my desires.
• There were times when I fed my lusts.
• There were times when I felt I “deserved” a bit of ”fun”.

JESUS speaks in a manner only GOD could speak. HE talks about eating HIS flesh and drinking HIS blood. “How can this be?” questioned the Jews. JESUS wanted them to feed something else that required a certain food.

• GOD wants me to feed off of JESUS’s examples.
• GOD wants me to feed off of JESUS’s love for those who hated HIM.
• GOD wants me to feed off of JESUS’s faithfulness to continue HIS mission regardless of facing death.

Starving will happen whether it is my lustful desires or the HOLY SPIRIT. One will get fed over the other. GOD wants me to feed my SPIRIT by serving those HE sends to me or who I am sent to. HE feeds me with HIS broken body and cleanses me with HIS blood that dripped from the wounds of HIS murder.

JESUS is definitely food and GOD speaks in foody terms. HE says “Bear fruit” and “Have the fruit of the SPIRIT.” These tasty terms mean serve as many people as possible and listen to GOD so the HOLY SPIRIT inside me will not starve. I desire to feed what GOD has so generously given to me.

• What are you feeding?
• Do you complain, seek pleasure, hate others or feed off of a GOD-less crowd?
• Will you feed the SPIRIT inside you by listening to GOD and serving those HE sends you to today?