“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.”
~I Chronicles 22:19
“I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.”
~Proverbs 8: 17
The Parks in Oxford provide me with endless food for imagining the wonder of God as the ultimate artist. I sit on my bench and watch the colors of the plants, flowers and fields change over the season. But mostly I sit, quietly and open my heart to Him with thanksgiving and prayer. I breathe out burdens and breath in the beauty and peace.
One afternoon many years ago, some women stopped by unexpectedly to have a short visit as friends. It was one of those times they stayed and stayed and stayed. Finally, when I closed the door, I walked upstairs to my bedroom and found an unexpected surprise.
When I got to my room, though, Joy was there, wrapped in comfy come-home-and-fall-apart clothes, diary in hand. She scooted next to me on my loveseat, with me knee to knee.
"Mama, I am pretty tired, but I didn't want to go to bed without spending a few moments with you and sharing my heart. I was willing to wait just to be with you, Mama!”"
And so we sat there, together, in the sweet air of love and mama-daughter fellowship and shared souls.
I was so touched that she waited up for me, to meet with me, to be with me, to care enough to spend time with me. It was a memory I will store away for always.
Joy gave me a real life picture of how much He, too, longs for me to wait up for Him, to want to share my heart with Him, to seek His company amidst my busy day. He who is so very busy--and yet always makes the time for me, His little girl. It's a matter of making time for what really matters and putting aside all of the other stuff, to invest in the eternal.
“Seek first the kingdom of God.”
~ Matthew 6:33
“… if you cry out for insight,
And raise your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.”
~Proverbs 2:3-5
If I knew that somewhere on my premises there was a chest of silver and gold, enough to last my family for a lifetime, I think I would think about it, putting great effort into figuring out where it might be, look for it, go to much effort to dig for it. I would go to great lengths to try to find such a treasure.
The definition of searching is trying to find something by looking and seeking carefully and thoroughly.
Is this the energy with which I seek God? This is what scripture tells me to do. He wants me to have eternal wisdom, insightful wisdom, wisdom that gives light to my path and directions to follow.
God wants to bless those of us who would truly make Him our priority. He has promised blessing and favor and help and rest and guidance and compassion and mercy in our lives. God Himself and His wisdom is touted many places in scripture as being more important than silver or gold.
And yet, I have to really put away the distractions, the voices, the tasks at hand to be sure that He is my focus, my treasure, my confidence and hope.
I rarely meet people who have that palpable life--that almost tangible evidence of God's Holy Spirit living through them. But when I do meet them, every single one of them is a woman of the word of God. They have mounted up over the obstacles of their lives to seek Him, practicing every day to know Him, to love and worship Him.
I want to be that kind of person--that others can sense Him in me, but I know with all of my heart, it just doesn't happen unless I have been spending time in His presence, making Him my focus, living daily in His word and seeking Him.
And so, if I want not to seek to manipulate circumstances or to figure out a formula or system to provide for our family's needs or answers, I need to be sure I am not depending on idols or myself to provide, but see that I am waiting for Him, following Him, being still enough to listen to Him.
I so want to be faithful until I close my eyes on this place of home and awaken to His face--to have loved Him well and to have shown Him my love through my trust and faithfulness while here this short while.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44