4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Deuteronomy 4
Mark 15:21-47

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (CSB): “But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

On the day that Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to two men who were walking back home to Emmaus from Jerusalem. Jesus, whose identity was temporarily concealed from them, caught up to those two men and “interpreted for them all the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). They loved it so much that their “hearts (were) burning within (them)” (Luke 24:32). When they arrived at their home in Emmaus, we are told that Jesus acted like He was prepared to keep walking.

Luke 24:28-29 (CSB): “They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, ‘Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.”

Jesus was prepared to part ways until those men asked him to stay.

God often waits to be wanted. He may simply pass us by if we don’t desire for Him to stay.

Since God doesn’t change and He is the same in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and in our own lives, we aren’t suprised to see this truth throughout Scripture. One place it shows up is in today’s Bible reading.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (CSB): “But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Do you want to know the Lord more? Do you want to enjoy His presence in your life? Then, you must ask yourself another question: “Are you genuinely pursuing Him?”

One of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer, once said: “We have as much of God as we actually want.”

Friend, there is so much more of God to enjoy and more to know than any of us are currently experiencing. But God is waiting to be wanted. He may continue to walk right on past us unless we stand at our door and call out for Him to spend time with us because we want to enjoy Him more.

Won’t you desire to seek him with all of your heart and all of your soul? I pray you will.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to cause you to see how far you have fallen away from Him (none of us are where we should be).
  • Ask God to cultivate a desire for Him within your heart that won’t be satisfied until you are enjoying Him.
  • Ask God to help you see things in your Bible readings and in the world around you that draw you closer to Him.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into seeking God, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“Why is seeking God important?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)