Seeking God's Heart

1 Chronicles 16:1, 8-11

16 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God.

8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.  
Psalm 57:3 (NLT)

 
There is a longing in everyone of us that only God can satisfy.  When the Creator of life designed us, he shaped us out of a reflection of himself – he made us in HIS image.  It is only fitting that he understands best what we most need.  This “craving” is so real and hard to get at that many people only experience the slightest fulfillment because they are unwilling to dig deep enough to discover the true joy of being united with the One who knows us best and loves us most.
 
A few years ago I read the book, “Searching For God Knows What” by Donald Miller.  He observed that…
“If the Gospel of Jesus is relational, that is, if our brokenness will be fixed not by our understanding of theology but by God telling us who we are, then this would require a kind of intimacy of which only Heaven knows… Imagine how much a man's life would change if he trusted that he was loved by God.”  
 
I find it fascinating that many of the most amazing saints of the past spent years trying to “please” God in some way in order to win his favor, only to realize later in life that God loved them and just wanted them to be overwhelmed by the depth of that truth.  The more I embrace and cherish that reality, the greater peace I experience in spite of any difficulty I am facing. 
 
When I stop and look at the world situation, my heart breaks for those living underneath the tyranny of abusive power. It hurts for those suffering the loss of place, the loss of people, and the loss of purpose.  It can quickly become my undoing as I feel the weight of all this.  BUT – when I come and place these concerns before God, he takes them with a reminder that he knows exactly what is going on and has a plan already in place to deal with it.  

Then he hands back to me the specific responsibilities He wants me to join him in taking care of.  These new burdens are lighter and more satisfying in the long run as I depend on him in a greater way. 
 
I’m seeking more of God’s heart these days and I challenge you to do the same.  In the final week of this series, may your eyes be opened to beauty of who our God is and what he is all about.
 
Grateful to journey together with you,
Pastor John