JEREMIAH 29:12-14a -Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord . . .
THEME OF THE DAY. IT IS COSTLY. In today’s scripture, God is giving us the greatest invitation a human will ever receive, the greatest experience a human being will ever have, and the greatest privilege a human being will ever exercise. Settle into each word – Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord. God is extending the invitation, experience and privilege to know Him; really know Him, not about Him, but to encounter Him, enjoy Him, be close to Him, love Him, be changed by Him . . . and a whole lot more when God is truly known. Yet . . . is this occurring? Are Christians manifesting the fruit of this encounter with God? Am I? Are you? What about our churches? Are there Fruit of the Spirit lives characterizing our churches and even characterizing us? That is the goal, the single goal, of knowing God – to be changed into His image and reflect that image in our relationships. It is the image and reflection of – Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I think an honest assessment, at least an honest assessment and confession from me, is that this Fruit is not as dominant as God would desire of me. Yes, I know it is a battle for all of us, but perhaps there is an underlying reason.
When we look around, not in a judging way, but in an assessing way, in our churches, toward other Christians, perhaps even in our lives, it is not difficult to see the lack of what is produced when we “find the Lord” or are walking close to Him. Among many Christians are lives lived with little joy, peace, influence for Christ, and an alarming spiritual complacency making us look and act too much like the world. Perhaps the promise God gives of finding Him and thus producing Fruit of the Spirit lives is not being realized because we are failing to meet the requirement.
In today’s scripture, God gives us an open door to know Him, experience Him, and be changed by Him, but there is a cost to pay – a high cost. He said, “When you seek me with all your hearts.” Lukewarm hearts and half-hearted efforts to know the Lord never lead to knowing the Lord. He will not give Himself to such feeble efforts from His people. He is too wonderful, too precious, and too glorious to be known by a people who are spiritually lazy and spiritually indifferent. But there is hope if that defines us. The promise is still in force. God still calls. God still invites. The question is . . . are we willing to pay the cost? It will be worth it if we do because He is worth it!
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that fellowship with You is so precious and will not come without a great cost paid by me.”
QUOTE: “God has provided everything in His Son to provide fellowship with us but He will not zap us with the self-discipline to do so.”