Yearning

 There is an intense yearning in my soul for God to move. It is a hankering for His fresh wind to blow on us like the wind on a blustery day. It is a pining, an aching, a longing for Him to have His will and His way among us. It is intense. It is emotional. There is a sad pining to it because it seems so far out of reach.

 I have disdain for the run of the mill mundane worship service where God is absent and the people are apathetic. I know God can do more. So much more. He wants to do more. Many bench warmer Christians are content to play religious games rather than to yearn for fresh moves of God. 

Preachers tickle the ears because it draws a crowd. They prefer crowds of people over the presence of God. I prefer God's presence drawing a large crowd into glorious encounters with Him. I yearn to see people broken and repentant over sin. I prefer to see heavy laden pilgrims find relief as they cast those burdens on the Lord. I prefer to see the body of Christ ministering to each other as God moves mightily. I prefer revival over religious routines. I prefer souls saved over sheep swapping. 

I yearn for this nation to return to God. We are living on borrowed time. Sooner or later God will judge us harshly. I yearn to see a spiritual awakening that changes the moral climate. I yearn to see little boys and girls brought to houses of God to learn Bible truths. I had a conversation with a little tyke once who told me, "I want to come to church, but my parents won't bring me." Those little ones are open to Jesus. They love to learn about Him. THEY CAN'T BRING THEMSELVES! Pagan parents do not make it a priority. Lazy Laodicean parents do not make the effort. 

I yearn to see less people populating hell and more bound for the promise land of Heaven. People are deceived. They choose to ignore Bible truth about eternity. They love the darkness and hate the light. The Light of the world exposes their sin. There is sin. There are consequences for breaking the laws of God. There is the good news of the gospel that Jesus died to take the punishment for sin and rose again. He offers forgiveness and salvation. The masses reject His love and sacrifice. Judgment Day is coming. None will escape. There will be a day of reckoning. I yearn for people to be ready when that day comes. I yearn for all who read this to be in right relationship with Jesus before it is too late. I think God yearns for those things too. 

Seeking and Finding

Many people love Jeremiah 29:11. Some claim it as their life verse. Not so many are as familiar with verse 13. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. There is always more of God to discover. More of Him to know. More of Him to experience. Many Christian people do not seek Him very diligently. They substitute religion for the relationship. 

What does it mean to seek for God? It means to desire Him. We live in a world where desiring God falls way down on the priority list. People desire pleasure. They desire sin. People struggling in addiction desire alcohol and drugs which can only offer temporary pleasure, as do all other things on this earth. God is the ONLY ONE who can satisfy the deepest desires of our soul. Nothing else will do. Let me ask, do you desire God? Do you desire Him the most? 

When we desire God the most, His promise to us is that we will find Him. That means that we will discover Him and encounter Him. Weekly people go to a worship gathering. Some are bored. Others are thrilled. What makes the difference? Those who come with the desire to encounter God personally and discover something new about Him, find what they are seeking. God is treated like a cosmic Santa Claus for others who have no desire for Him, but do desire what He can do for them. We give Him our wish list, but are not interested in taking time to seek and find Him. That is like a demanding and ungrateful child going to a parent wanting money or a toy, but never spending time with their parent or telling them how much they love and appreciate them. 

No wonder some worship services are dry. There is little desire among the people for Him. That can include the leadership too. I bet some worship services could carry on like normal without people noticing God's absence. People know how to plan and craft services, but God is not the ultimate desire. Experts know how to create a mood with lights, music, and slick sermon presentations. None of those can ever offer what God offers in Himself. Those things are shallow imitations for the real deal. When we seek God with all our heart, God encounters happen. 

Of those who do desire God and seek Him, how many do so with all their heart? We can get so distracted. Pulled in so many directions. Between emails, phones, deadlines, appointments, chasing kids, and overloaded work demands, when is there time for God? Even when we make time, do we halfheartedly go through the motions of devotions and prayer? 

If we want to know God, we must desire Him and take steps to seek Him. How? If we read our Bibles out of duty, we probably don't get much out of it. If we read them like God's love letter to us, we are much more likely to discover Him in the pages. That is exactly what happened to me today with Jeremiah 29:13. It was in my Bible reading and inspired this article. 

I have been on a search and find mission with God for several decades now. I wish I could describe the deep God encounters I've had during that time. I wish I could tell you how many times God met me at my point of need. The times He comforted in confusion. The times He provided when funds were insufficient. The time He met me by a lake, in the mountains, or on a beach in FL. Those are God encounters I recall fondly. I also can remember searching for Him in a puddle of tears at a youth camp on my face broken. There are times that I can't even pray. I just sit basking in His presence like a person would sit in the sun basking in the rays. Prayer is sweet. Worship becomes more meaningful when you seek God with all your heart. I am confident you will find Him.