Seeking God
I hear a lot about the need to seek God in these times, and this is good. It's obvious that we need to seek him at all times. What I question, however, is the means of seeking him. It appears that we have a very truncated version of seeking God. My experience has been that the primary, and I might say, the only way of seeking him by those urging us to do so is to seek him in prayer and fasting, in praise and worship. And that is usually the extent of it.
Isaiah 58 addresses this very pointedly. God declares that his people seek him day by day, delighting to know his ways, asking for just decisions and delighting in the nearness of God. Yet God is not noticing them. A very significant element is missing from their "seeking" equation - their service to others.
God has a heart for the downtrodden and the oppressed, as so vividly seen in Jesus' earthly ministry. As was true in the days of his flesh, so it is today. He is "out there" where people are hurting and in need of the good news of the kingdom, both in word and deed. Therefore, if we are truly seeking him, we'll have to go where he is to find him.
I wonder if many of our attempts to seek and find God are unfruitful simply because we don't seek him where he is, amongst the oppressed, the homeless, the hungry, the naked, and the afflicted. I wonder if we got involved with such people if we would find Jesus there.
Isaiah 58 addresses this very pointedly. God declares that his people seek him day by day, delighting to know his ways, asking for just decisions and delighting in the nearness of God. Yet God is not noticing them. A very significant element is missing from their "seeking" equation - their service to others.
God has a heart for the downtrodden and the oppressed, as so vividly seen in Jesus' earthly ministry. As was true in the days of his flesh, so it is today. He is "out there" where people are hurting and in need of the good news of the kingdom, both in word and deed. Therefore, if we are truly seeking him, we'll have to go where he is to find him.
I wonder if many of our attempts to seek and find God are unfruitful simply because we don't seek him where he is, amongst the oppressed, the homeless, the hungry, the naked, and the afflicted. I wonder if we got involved with such people if we would find Jesus there.
All of a sudden it got quiet here.
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To your list of prayer, fasting, praise, and worship, I would add Bible study. While all of these disciplines are good. Without expression in service to others they are often simply religious vanity.
I once worked with a guy framing pictures that was so into weight lifting that he would often come into work too sore to do anything physical. While he claimed that his training was to make him stronger, it seemed to mainly be about making him look better in a t shirt. I used to joke with him about the difference between us was that he had "show muscles" while I had "go muscles".
I think this is what we see in the parable of the good Samaritan, and all too often in what is stressed in today's Christian culture. A set of spiritual disciplines that have us so busy with things that will impress other Christians that we have no time or strength left for the things God would have us busy with.
I agree that it is in our service to others that we most often meet with Jesus most fully. When that service actually cost us something so dear to us that we have to cry out to God for his help. I believe that this is where our prayer, fasting, praise, and Bible study become something more than vanity. They become a tool in God's hand to make us more like his Son. Joining God in his plan to conform us to the likeness of Christ is where I believe we experience real intimacy with him.
This is one of the reasons I am so hopeful about the fellowship of a small house meeting. I think it is only a close friend that will take the time to point out to us that we are too focused on "show muscle". Too busy with our Christian weightlifting to be available for what God would have us pick up.
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Tony, I love your illustration of "show" muscles and "go" muscles. Far too many have show muscles. All of the prayer, Bible study, fasting, praise and worship are performed in a vacuum if separated from relationship and service to others. The individualistic Christianity that is far too common is the "show muscle" type of Christianity. Don't the body builders, like your friend, work out on their own with the attention focused on themselves? Those who develop the "go muscles" as you have pointed out, are not focused on self, but are focused on serving others, and in the process develop their spiritual muscles.
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Great Post Carm,
It really gets to the heart of God don't you think? Great illustration Tony.
I wondered how many of us who claim to be followers not only don't realize that this is God's heart...
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,and your night will become like the noonday."
..but we miss out on the fruit that comes after...THEN your light will, THEN your healing will come and yet many do nothing. Not speaking of us here of course
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