What Are You Seeking?

You will find what you are seeking.

What are you seeking?

What you seek will orient the direction of your steps.

This applies in good and bad ways. If you are seeking trials, you will find them. If you are seeking offenses, you will find them. If you are seeking failure, you will find it. If you are seeking arguments to disprove something, you will find it.

On the other hand, if you are seeking God, you will find Him. If you are seeking evidence that He exists, you will find it. If you are seeking acts of kindness, you will find it. If you are seeking reasons for which to be thankful, you will find it. If you are seeking unity, you will find it — at least in your own heart.

What you seek after will also direct where you position yourself in action and attitude.

Body language experts know by watching the direction of a person’s body — especially their feet — they can tell whom that person trusts and/or likes the most. Words can say one thing, but their bodies might dictate another reality.

Want to know the heart of a person? Look at where their feet are headed.

(Thoughts the Lord gave me this past Sunday and that I shared with my kids…)

More Lessons To Be Learned In Genesis… Jacob Returns to Bethel

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During this school year, I have been doing an in-depth Bible study on the book of Genesis with my CBS group.  Though I have read it many times throughout my life, I never cease to learn new things with each additional reading.  Once again, I was not disappointed.

In Genesis 35, we find the account of Jacob returning back to Bethel.  Returning to Bethel is significant because this is the location where Jacob first encountered God. 

Before Jacob and his family returned to Bethel, he first gave several very specific commands to his family.  Each of these directives has a significant correlating spiritual analogy.

1. First, Jacob tells his children to “Put away the strange gods from among you.”

Surrender your idols.

What “idols” or lies (anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God) do I need to surrender to God in order to move into a place of greater intimacy and encounter with God? 

Idols are anything that agitate my trust in God and divert my devotion from God.  They can be a relationship, a circumstance, a diagnosis, a conflict, a trial, a tragedy, a loss, a goal, an occupation, a comfort, something or someone that I love more than God, etc…

2. Second, Jacob tells his household to purify themselves.

Purify yourselves.

This is speaking of repentance and cleansing.  The Word cleanses us.  Repentance is required though for the cleansing to occur.  Without repentance, it’s like standing next to a shower but not actually getting in and using the soap and shampoo.  Holy Spirit is like the water, and the Word is like the soap and shampoo.  Not perfect analogies, but you get the point.

Ephesians 5:26

²⁶ that He might ^[a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Hebrews 10:22

²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

1 John 1:9

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 3:19

¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

James 4:8

⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

3. Third, Jacob tells his family to change their clothes.

Change your “garments.”

There is so much significance to this!!!  The old garments of sinful behavior, shame, guilt, and condemnation need to be cast aside so you can put on the garments of His righteousness.  

You cannot wear His righteousness when you are trying to wear your own faux imitations.

Isaiah 61:10

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Zechariah 3:4

⁴ Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

Ephesians 6:14

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

 

After Jacob’s household had followed his instructions, they proceeded to Bethel.  Bethel is the place where Jacob had previously encountered God.  See the following passage that speaks of this first encounter:

Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob’s Vow at Bethel

¹⁰ Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹ So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. ¹² Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep^[a] you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

¹⁸ Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place ^[b]Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, ²¹ so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. ²² And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a ^[c]tenth to You.”

Genesis 31:13

¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”

Before returning to see his father, Jacob traveled to the place of his initial encounter with God.  He moved/positioned himself where God would appear.  Bethel means “House of God.”

The spiritual application is, Are you positioned (do you intentionally put yourself) where God’s Presence is?  Do you regularly spend time in the “house of God”?  Does this “house” have the tangible Presence of God that is welcomed?  Does it reveal Him, and lead you into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God?

Not all houses “house” the Presence of God.  Some are empty tombs, enshrining the past but not bringing His life into your present experience.  Jesus lived thousands of years ago, but He still is very much alive today!

As soon as they arrived in Bethel, Jacob and his family did something very symbolic.  They built an altar.

Altars speak of sacrifice, yielding, and worship.

The following verses highlight the concept of sacrifice:

Titus 2:14

¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Romans 6:13

¹³ And do not present your members as^[a]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Jonah 2:9

⁹ But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.”

Hebrews 9:14

¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without ^[a]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Luke 9:23 Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross^[a]daily, and follow Me.

(Note: This passage is not talking about a literal cross, typically, but it is referring to the daily ways we must choose to die to our wills and our flesh in order to serve God and others.)

Philippians 3:8

⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

John 12:24

²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much^[a]grain.

(Note: This is again referring to “dying” to our flesh.)

Matthew 16:24

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

1 John 3:16

The Outworking of Love

¹⁶ By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Philippians 2:17

¹⁷ Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Philippians 2:5

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

The implication is that yieldedness is the place where God loves to meet us.

He met His people at the altar.  He still does today, except we are called His “temples.”  We are the dwelling place where “altars” or sacrifices to Him are to be made.  This does not mean empty rituals of religious repetition out of obligation.  This is referring to heart-felt yieldedness to God, knowing Who He is and knowing how much He loves us.

Sincere and passionate devotion is what should inspire us rather than religious obligation. 

The question is, “Are our temples merely empty tombs, enshrining the past, or are they a place where God’s Presence is welcomed and where daily sacrifices are being made — sacrifices of yieldedness and allowing Him to purify us?”

 

The place of sacrifice was on the altar within the temple.  We are God’s “temples,” and the altar is the inner “sanctuary” of our hearts.  Our hearts are the place where we yield a pleasing “sacrifice” to God.  This is where we choose to yield to God, to sacrifice our fleshly/sinful desires, and where we pour out our devotion before God.  True, authentic devotion always starts within the heart of a person.

In the Biblical account, we find that as soon as Jacob and his family make their offerings, God’s Presence appears.

As soon as God appears, He does the following actions:

• He blesses Jacob.
• He calls Jacob by his new name, Israel, which means “Prince.”
• He confirms the promises that He had given to Jacob/Israel in the past and to his forefathers.

As we see throughout Genesis, God is always faithful to keep His promises.  He is faithful because He is faithful.  

God’s encounter with Jacob is not fearful, hateful, or condemning.  Instead, it is a time of restoration, blessing, calling Jacob into his true identity, and confirmation of God’s character and His faithfulness to oversee the fulfillment of His promises to His people.

God calling Jacob by his new name is significant.  Names represented a person’s identity and purpose.

What names has God called you in the Bible and personally?  Those names are to reveal your true identity and true calling.  They are your prophetic destiny.

Jacob’s new name means “Prince.”  God also tells us that we shall reign with Him as co-heirs with Christ.

Romans 8:17

¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

1 Peter 1:4

⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Revelation 2:26

²⁶ And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Revelation 3:21

²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

It is so interesting to note that God calls Jacob/Israel by His prophetic name and into his destiny after Jacob seeks and then encounters God.

If you are needing greater clarity concerning a situation or relationship, there is encouragement in this lesson to seek God, to put aside “idols” and lies in your life, to remove off the old works of the flesh or your own attempts at “righteousness” apart from God, to enter into his House, to yield yourself to God, and to wait on Him.  God responds to those who seek Him and yield to Him.

God then gave Jacob renewed confirmation that clarified Jacob’s identity and purpose and then poured out blessings to provide and protect Jacob on his journey.  Remember, that what God speaks actually begins to happen.  His Words are creative in nature.  God’s blessings were actually speaking the blessings into existence.

In Genesis 1, God spoke, and it happened.  We see this same occurrence throughout Scripture.  When God says something, it isn’t just a “maybe” or “if then…”  It’s a promise that has creative power attached to it.  When the Creator speaks, matter and energy respond to His voice.

 

Divine Guidance

(FreeImages.com/Dhany Syamsuddin)

I hear so many Christians either erring on the side of ignoring the reality of Divine guidance in the everyday details of life or erring on the side of placing “Revelation,” as it is sometimes called, above the written Word of God.

The former group of people tend to be those who are so scared of false teachers that they ignore the reality of the Spirit of God and His divine inspiration and guidance within our daily lives.

This group of people tend to imply that God’s Word alone is our source of inspiration and guidance.  They believe that God speaks only through His Word, with few exceptions.

I believe this is mainly in reaction to so many false leaders that have led people astray from supposedly hearing directly from God.

We are wise to “test the Spirits.”  There are many false teachers, and it is especially wise to be prudent when someone claims to hear something from God.  Every word needs to be “checked” against the truth of the Word of God.

Yet, to imply that God speaks only through His Word alone is to imply that we live most of our lives outside of the realm of Divine guidance.

For example, when it came time to moving, job changes, academic choices for our kids, business decisions, relationships, etc…, I asked the Lord for wisdom and relied on His Holy Spirit to lead/direct.

The Bible does not address specific life events.  It does give overall life principles that do help to govern our daily choices, but it does not tell you if you should buy a specific house or relocate to a specific area.  So, if God does not speak in any other way than through His Word, are we living most of our lives outside of Divine guidance?  

I remember when I heard a friend say that she looks for the open door.  If the “door” is “open,” she assumes it’s a go.  If it closes, she assumes that means a “no.”  I believe there is a lot of danger in this.  There are many open doors, but they are not all for us to enter.  That seems more like relying on chance than actual Divine guidance.

What if instead, God does desire to direct our lives in every area of life?

Makes sense, right?!!!  If every decision in our lives does impact our lives, then would it not make sense that God would want to give us wisdom to make the best decision — rather than the most convenient?

There are many ways God speaks, and His Word is replete with verses that talk about His thoughts towards us and His speaking to His people.

God has used music, creation, dreams (on occasion), godly advice from friends, books, and many other ways to speak to my heart.  Sometimes, I get this definite impression from God that is very different from any other type of thought. I have known, in those times, that the impression was from God.  I usually ask Him to confirm with His Word that what I thought I “heard” was from Him.

There are dangers in putting too much emphasis on human “revelation” rather than God’s Word.  Within the groups of people that fall into this category are those who seem to even disregard the written Word of God over their own “divine inspiration/revelation.”  That immediately sends off a “red flag” to me.

God’s Spirit will never contradict His Spirit-inspired written Word.  The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God.  God does not contradict Himself. 

A truly Spirit-led person will love the Word of God, the people of God, and God Himself.

I believe there are two groups of people often seen within the present-day Church:

1. There are those who from fear act like the Word of God replaces the Spirit of God.  These churches are known for their emphasis on truth but spurn many allusions to the Spirit’s leading and seem to have difficulty understanding grace, outside of the theory of it.
2. There are those who put such emphasis on the “Spirit” that it becomes questionable whose spirit is directing them.  Their “revelations” contradict the Word of God, or there is a lack of love for the Spirit-inspired Word of God.  In other words, they seem to ignore the fact that God’s Word is Spiritual.  Their concept of grace is another man-made theory that is as effective as slapping a smiley face sticker on a person who just lost a loved one and telling them that if they smile it will be all better.

I love the following verse which expresses the balance so beautifully:

John 4:24

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

It is the Spirit of God that directs the Word of God to penetrate into our hearts with unfailing precision.

We can, indeed, live every moment of our lives within the protection of Divine guidance.

Do You Really Want To Know God’s Will?

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As Christians, we say we want to know God’s will. 

We wonder why we don’t “hear” God’s voice, telling us what to do…

The question is, “Do we really want to hear God’s voice?”

Think about those times when you had a conviction to do something that scared you to pieces…

How about that time when you dismissed a potential calling because it sounded too absurd, too contrary to what you thought you could do?

Yeah.  That’s been me before — when I have questioned and hesitated because I wasn’t sure if I was hearing my own thoughts, listening to the pressures of others, or really hearing from God.

Waiting until you have clarity is wise. 

Yet, when you know God is speaking and you try to decide to obey based on your own comfort level with the command, then the question is, “Do you really want to know God’s will?”

I love what Priscilla Shirer says in her book, Discerning The Voice Of God:

...the determining factor for experiencing God is obedience.  We must learn to make obedience a habit regardless of our feelings.

God doesn’t just speak to be heard.  He speaks to be obeyed.

…this kind or response lays the groundwork for God to do incredible things [in our lives]. (Discerning The Voice Of God)

Obedience is not only the key that keeps the door of communication open between you and God but the only appropriate response when He speaks. (Discerning The Voice Of God)

Obedience to God yields supernatural results!

If we really want to “hear” God speak, then we must be willing to obey what He says.

“God doesn’t just speak to be heard.  He speaks to be obeyed.” (by Priscilla Shirer)

Revelation 2:17

¹⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Matthew 11:15

¹⁵ He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Deuteronomy 31:12

¹² Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

Exodus 15:26

²⁶ And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Matthew 7:24

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matthew 13:15

¹⁵ For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

(Graphics by Jessica Morris.)

The Invitation To Knowing God’s Will

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God’s will… 

Knowing God’s will seems to be that illusive, vague concept that people want to know, wish they could know, or make any excuse to avoid knowing.

But is it really that vague and illusive?  Is God’s will something we can and should know?

I’ve heard a lot of Christians say that they look for an open door and figure that so long as it stays open they can proceed, and it must be God’s will.  This could be a way God is leading, but there are cautions concerning this.

There are a lot of “open doors” that are not intended for us to walk through.

Matthew 7:13-14

¹³ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

God does not intend for us to guess our way through life and hope we choose the correct open door. 

God is Sovereign, and He has a purpose and plan for each and everyone of us and for each and every part of our day.

As much as we may want to know God’s will, God wants us to know it even more.  This means that He will be revealing His will to us through various avenues.

There are a few principles to know when seeking God’s will:

• God’s will is never in opposition to His Word.
• God’s will requires trust and faith in God.
• God’s will is always in accordance with His character and purposes.
• God’s will is accompanied by the peace of His Holy Spirit.
• God’s will is revealed in the perfection of His timing.
• God’s will is revealed as we obey Him in each step of His direction.
• God’s will is often revealed within His activity in the circumstances of our lives.
• God’s will is revealed as we surrender our own aspirations to Him.
• God’s will is revealed through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
• God’s will is often outside of our comfort zone and requires us to tap into divine resources in order to fulfill it.  (See Discerning the Voice Of God by Priscilla Shirer.)

God’s will serves several purposes:

• God’s will glorifies Himself.
• God’s will helps us to become more fully the person God created us to be.
• God’s will serves a “greater good” by affecting a bigger community than ourselves.

God’s will is revealed to us through some of the following means:

• His Word
• His character and purposes
• Godly counsel of fellow believers
• Circumstances
• His Holy Spirit’s prompting and leading

In her book, Discerning the Voice Of God, Priscilla Shirer says that God invites us into His will.  She said to wait for the invitation of His movement and then join in His work.

Sometimes, God’s will is exciting and “earth-shattering”.  Other times, His will comes “in a still small voice.”

His will can come with quiet conviction or simple peace.

Sometimes, His will is to persevere in what you are already doing.

Sometimes, it’s just cleaning a potty or preparing a meal for your family.

Other times, it’s sell all that you have, pack up your bags, and head to Africa to set up a medical clinic for the needy, as my dear friends are doing in Zambia (See the http://www.theottsinzambia.com.)

Don’t look for the dramatic experiences; though, God can work and does sometimes choose to work that way. 

Recently, God called me to step out in faith and to do something that was the opposite of what I, in my flesh, would choose.  I had to face some old wounds and some huge “mountains” of fears.  I knew though that God was calling me to do this thing.  I kept resting in the truth that where God guides, He provides.

I know that obeying God’s leading does not guarantee that my life and His will is going to be easy.  In fact, it will probably be the opposite because His will requires His strength and grace to fulfill it.  In other words, His will is something outside what I, in my flesh, can do well and with grace.

Yeah, that does mean I have some fears that resurrect themselves at times.  When those fears stare me in the face, I have to look right back at them with assurance that God’s resources always follow God’s will. 

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I read this quote somewhere and loved it: “Sometimes answers sound like whispers of redemption instead of shouts of rescue.”

Sometimes, God’s will looks contrary to what we think it should look like.  It is when circumstances appear to be hopeless and God appears to be absent that we need to bank our hearts and minds on this verse:

Isaiah 55:8-9

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God has a higher purpose to fulfill than our own personal gratification and goals. 

Ultimately, His will is for our true good.

We have to submit our wills to a God who can only be faithful to His own character.  His character is good and true and just and loving and merciful.  Bank on it!

It’s tough times that will produce a tough faith when we rely on God’s character rather than our own understanding.

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