Text: Psalm 27:1-4
Ministering: Pastor Bukky Otono
Date: 19 March 2023
Today, I am here for ONE THING – to SEEK JESUS!
THERE ARE 3 CATEGORIES OF ‘SEEKERS’ OF GOD:
- Those who only seek God in ‘good times’
They rejoice in the Lord only when there is cause to, but in times of trouble, they retreat. When they’re having a bad, busy or any other trying episode on any given day, God has to take a back seat and wait for their mood to improve, for their schedule to free up or for the storm to pass.
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Why must we rejoice twice? Because in this world you will have trials! Because the devil your adversary is as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. As he’s seeking you, may he find you rejoicing in the Lord. During the first rejoicing, tribulation can befall you again, so Paul reminds us “again, rejoice!”.
To those who seek God in ‘good times’ church is a social event and a place to come celebrate the goodness of God. Their interest lies not in faith, but in fortune; how to continue to secure every blessing from the Lord. Essentially, these ones trade in their time for blessings. For every minute spent in the presence of God, they must see the dividend and as long as the blessings keep being showered upon them, they are ‘faithful’.
But their faithfulness is false and futile, because these ones are actually prosperity chasers. To them, God is only a miracle worker, way maker, the Balm of Gilead doing of all good things. All of this is true! But, God is also the Father to the FATHERLESS, the defender of the WIDOWS. What ignited the good? The trouble they faced! The loss of a father, a parent, a spouse!
Faithfulness isn’t known in good times; faithfulness isn’t known in the absence of temptations!
Don’t tell me you are faithful until trouble, trials, temptation come, and you can remain standing in the Lord. (Psalms 46:1-3, 10)
Faithfulness as a believer and follower of Christ is known when the seas are raging, issues of life abounding, but there you are – still in the knowledge of the Lord your God, KNOWING THAT He is God!
Anything else, reveals that this is one who ‘seeks’ God only in ‘good times’.
- Those who only seek God in ‘bad times’
These are ones who perpetually speak negative confessions, complaints and lamenting about the issues of life. These ones only acknowledge God as deliverer from doom, despair, dangers and darkness! Again, there is no disputing that God delivers – yes, He does! (Psalm 23:4 ; 1 Jn 4:4)
In the knowledge and power of Christ Jesus, we live and move with the overcomer’s advantage!
But the ones who ‘seek’ God ONLY in times of despair for rescue time and time again, refusing to grow and be empowered by the Word of God.
Moreover, they are quick to forget Him when the storm is stilled and the blazing fire has been quenched. After the mountain has been moved by the power of the Holy Ghost, they have a clear view of the road that lies before they forge ahead without the One who made the way!
Look at your life and assess whether you are in this category – progressing or regressing in the ways of the Lord!
SELAH
- Those who SEEK God ALL THE TIME!
These ones seek God in every season, in everything, in the good & bad, in the expected & unexpected, they are ever seeking, because of their ‘forever YES!’ These ones are seekers are described as the DILIGENT! (Hebrews 11:6)
The diligent seek a true, personal, intimate relationship with the Lord, not the reward, because they believe that God exists! Their eyes are set on things above, not on the earthly rewards which are sure to come (Matthew 6:33). The devil will use any means to keep you out of the presence of God – that is what he really seeks to devour; not your flesh but your time, attention, zeal and passion for God.
The diligent desire a likeness to Jesus, making it simple for them to pray without ceasing (Luke 9:29). They pray without ceasing, diligently, consistently, earnestly seeking the Lord, why? Not because of an earthly need for cars, houses or even blessings and healings. No! They pray, because Jesus prayed and we know this is the only sure way to communicate and connect with our Father, our Abba who is our Source. God is a Spirit and can only be connect to in the spirit.
The disciples saw Jesus praying time and time again – praying & manifesting God’s power! One day they said to Jesus, teach us how to pray (Luke 11:1) – why? There is power in prayer, there is power in diligently seeking the Lord!
Every device powered by electricity must be connected to an electrical source to function. You may have charged the phone in your pocket, but unless you plug in to charge it again, it may not last you all day. In our faith it works the same, but even better, because we ought not to unplug at all. Stay ever connected to be forever charged, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, eternally abiding under the shallow of the Almighty, planted like a tree by the river, bringing forth fruits in our season. The fruits are the reward of the diligent who remain planted, abiding, connected to our Source! ABBA FATHER!
LISTEN: There is no specific time to pray or at which they seek the Lord; the diligent seek God all the time!
We have been diligently taught about the prayer watches and the moral of those few weeks of teaching by our man of God, Pst Raf is, seek God always. We have no reason not to pray!
Pray for yourself, pray for your brother and sister in the Lord to receive their own freedom in the liberty of Christ Jesus (James 5:16, 1 John 5:16), pray for your church to be strengthened in the Lord, thereafter pray for the body of Christ (as we are continually under attack), then pray for unbelievers, for the many more souls to be called out of darkness into the marvelous light of God to proclaim His excellencies & crown our Lord Jesus, Lord of all!
As with devices, these ones understand that as batteries can be drained, light can be dimmed. As batteries & chargers can be faked and not work as they should, so too there is counterfeit light (II Corinthians 11:14 ; Matthew 6:23).
These diligent are those who seek God continually & to them ‘the fear of the Lord’ is really ‘the FEAR OF SEPARATION FROM the Lord’.
LISTEN: You only seek what you expect to find! There will come a time during seeking that everything will look like a lie, your faith may shake, your expectations not being met as you thought & though you encourage yourself in the Lord by saying ‘my expectation shall not be cut off’, the little voice in your mind says ‘but where is it then?’ The faithless ‘friends’ you keep may taunt you like Job’s wife did – curse God & die!
But because you are diligent, seeking the Lord with an expectation to find Him (not only His reward), you press on – why? You believe He exists! (Heb 11:6 NKJV)
Our God is diligent; He loves us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) Anything that is continuous, everlasting, is diligent. He has committed to us for life – even in our wrong, He rebukes us and that is still His everlasting love. Are we committed to God with our lives for life?
WHAT MUST WE DESIRE?
As believers & followers of Christ, we must have a single focus – our heart set on just ONE THING!
Our singular action, heart posture, desire must be TO SEEK!
HOW DO I SEEK?
- DWELL in the presence of the Lord
LISTEN: Seeking is not an exclusively Godly concept (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil is seeking for who to devour and can only get the ones who have refuse to chase after Jesus. However, if the devil is seeking you and you are seeking God, he can never find you!
Christians are being intimidated by the issues of life, homes hijacked, destinies destroyed, because spiritually we have become stagnant. The Spirit of the Lord moves! Our man of God has issued a prophetic declaration over this month of March that we should move and he didn’t just mean physically. Spiritually, refuse to be stuck in your rituals and religious practices of old.
Only God can be unchangeable, we must be flexible to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If he moves you to pray at what you consider an ‘odd’ or unusual time, would you stop what you’re doing and pray? If we can stop what we’re doing in times of ‘emergency’, we should be able to take the call of the Holy Spirit as a spiritual emergency.
Can God call on you any time the way you want to be able to call on Him at any time? (Jeremiah 33:3)
One thing you must do to find God and see Him all over your life is to seek to dwell in Him. Being moved by the leading of the Holy Spirit!
Dwelling is not just in the abstract spiritual, it is also to come to the physical sanctuary – come to church! (Psalms 26:8 NLT)
The devil tries to keep you out of the presence of God, discouraging you from dwelling in the Lord.
CONTENDERS OF DWELLING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD:
- Life, busyness, worry (Luke 10:41-42)
- Former things & past memories (Philippians 3:13)
- The crowd & naysayers (John 9:24-25)
- Pride & the self (Mark 10:17-21)
- BEHOLD THE BEAUTY of the Lord
Jesus’ template for prayer depicts that the most important thing for us to do when we dwell in God is to BEHOLD His beauty (Matthew 6:9) >> …HALLOWED BE THY NAME!
To behold means to:
Marvel at, gaze intently at, deeply adore, delight in, contemplate
Beholding overwhelms you with the truth and love of Christ. Beholding the beauty of the Lord places Him at the helm, the center and the rear of your life – so everywhere you look, you see JESUS!
LISTEN: Jesus demands this of us, to be beheld & glorified (Luke 19:38-40)
To seek, as you dwell and continuously dwell in the Lord with your spirit joined to His Spirit, you behold His beauty, acknowledge His Majesty, allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the splendor of His Holiness. (Psalm 27:6)
LISTEN: Our highest purpose & calling is to be in presence & to behold the perfect beauty of God. The sole purpose of the wicked one who brings about tribulations is to steal, kill & destroy your heart & longing desire for God’s presence.
When was the last time you earnestly went into your room, shut the door behind you and raise a sacrifice of praise?
May you daily desire a longing, insatiable intimacy & proximity with Jesus!
- INQUIRE in His temple
When you are intimate with someone, you care to know what they think, like, expect. To inquire is to place God’s opinion above your own, to desire instruction! (I Samuel 30:8)
In seeking God before engaging in battle, David was specific in his prayer; he had a plan to pursue, but needed the green light from his Master.
LISTEN: the last decision you made as a true follower of Christ is to receive Him as Savior and Lord. Your salvation was secured the day of your confession – Hallelujah, you are saved!
But His Lordship over you is every day, minute and second for the rest of your life. You are now married, after the wedding day, married for life to Christ and subject to His Lordship over your life.
David inquired because of His utmost regard of the Lord. He was broken in spirit to the point of inaction unless moved by the Lord Himself.
Say from today, Lord, without You I go nowhere, I can do nothing except through Christ Jesus who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). And indeed, Jesus said, we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5).
PRAYERS:
– Abba Father, as I seek you diligently, help me to dwell in Your presence
– King Jesus, as I behold Your matchless beauty, help me to live & love like You
– Holy Ghost, help me to live, move & have my being in You, in Jesus name (Acts 17:28)
