Getting back into the swing...

As hard as it's been to fight off the lazy bug I have tried to get back in the swing of "God Seekin." Pretty pitiful that I have to "get back in the swing" of it, isn't it? Do I ever have to get back in the swing of spending time with my husband or my daughter? No way, because that's a top priority to me. So how much more of a priority should it be to spend time with my Heavenly Father? Just the few days I'd gotten out of the routine of spending time with Him, the harder it was for me to just open up and talk to God. And it was even harder to hear His voice when I just tried to sit and listen. Just like when we don't spend time with a friend or family member for a period of time you can't always finish their sentences or recognize them the same goes for God. But it's not God who is not putting forth the effort...it's me.

Now instead of beating myself up over and over for my laziness I am going to move on. I told you I'd update you on the first night of my Bible study that happened last Wednesday night. I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the number of people who came since I'd sent out postcards inviting people and put it in the bulletin but I know it's a busy time of year for people. My husband reminded me afterward that God had exactly who He wanted there and all I needed to do was be obedient. I know he's right so I'm just praying He brings more people in this week.

We didn't get into the book this week, I really wanted to make sure we all understood what seeking God means. So I started out with a seek n find puzzle. In it I placed words like God and the fruits of the Spirit, things we should seek after. Then I listed words like wealth, success, and riches to look for but that weren't actually in the puzzle. After 10 minutes of searching and some getting frustrated because they couldn't find those words I explained my point. Isn't it frustrating when we seek after things we aren't suppose to just to never find those things? I think lightbulbs went off at this point, or at least I hope they did!

I went on to talk about the definition of seek...to resort to, to go in search of, to try to discover, to ask for, to try to acquire or gain. Then we talked about examples of God Seekers in the Bible such as Moses, Jehoshaphat, David, Solomon, Daniel, and Jesus. I shared scriptures that command us to seek God...I Chronicles 16:10-11, 22:19, & 28:9. The biggest part of the lesson focused on the promises from God IF we seek Him. You know as a kid if my parents promised me we were going to do something or get something, I think they probably followed through most if not all the time (unless something unexpected came up). With God if He promises it, IT WILL COME TO PASS! How awesome is that? So here are just a few of the promises He's made to us if we seek Him...

Deuteronomy 4:29-But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Chronicles 7:14-If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 31:21- And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Psalm 9:10-Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 34:10-The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 119:2-Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
Proverbs 8:1-7-I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Jeremiah 29:13-You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
Lamentations 3:25-The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
Matthew 6:33-But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7:7-Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10-For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

That's quite a list and that's not all of them! Isn't that exciting?! Not only does seeking God bring me into an intimate relationship with my Father but there are all these fringe benefits to go along!

We finished up the class talking about some of the consequences of not seeking God and then discussed our "homework" from the book for the week. The book is divided into 6 chapters with 5 days in each chapter so we are to focus on chapter 1 this week. This chapter is called "God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God." In the next few days, I'll probably post a sneak peak into some things we'll be discussing Wednesday night. Praying that we'll have a room full willing to accept His invitation to become a God Seeker!