Our plans are never our own. Our life can be led by the enemy, people, influences, and ourselves. Life cannot be lived without the Bread of Life working through us. We frustrate ourselves to the point of breakdown. We let our circumstances decide our plans. When we operate out of our flesh, nothing good can come from that.
Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! (Psalm 105:3-4).
The fruit (John 15:1-17) that was there is now becoming rotten because we let everything, but God controls our footsteps. But if we humble ourselves, put away our pride, and seek Him, we can be at peace (2 Chronicles 7:14). “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Psalm 135:6).
Job’s fourth speech and response to Zophar in Job 12 speaks about how God is in control of all things. The Bible states that “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). In this verse, one can discern that it does not matter what or who you are. Whether you are an enemy or a friend, God is still in control.
Job walked through so much heartache and pain. It is no wonder why he pleaded with God and continued to rely on Him even when Job wanted God to end his life. But Job never went against God. Instead, he leaned on Him as much as He could even when his enemies were leading him otherwise.
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful (James 5:11).
Have you ever been in a circumstance where God is the only one you could turn to? After that circumstance was settled, did you still cling to, lean on, and seek after God?
In all walks of life, there are troubles that come. An example of this that I encountered was when an injured bird found refuge in a butterfly bush. My mother came home from work on her lunch break and as she looked out the kitchen window, while she was eating, she saw a huge raven.
This bird was clearly injured with its wing and was trying to cling to the small branches of the butterfly bush. In the trees above, this bird had concerned friends. My father tried to get the bird out of the bush because it looked very uncomfortable in the heat of the day.
When he could not get the bird to cling to an old broom, I came out and tried to gently force the bird on the broom. When it finally gained the courage to cling to the broom, the bird seemed at ease, ready to trust me to bring him to safety.
I am sure many of you have been in a situation where it seems too risky to trust anyone but yourself. But as you let go and trust God to bring you to where you need to be, then you will truly understand what leaning on God means.
In seeking God, it’s no surprise that questions will come up about what you are seeking God about. I think that we sometimes make what we are seeking answers for become more apparent and the focus rather than just seeking God only.
In 1 Chronicles 16:11, the Bible states, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” We need to seek God just to seek Him. God already knows the questions that we have. But also use wisdom in the area that you are seeking God about. I know seeking God may appear hard at times, and it truly can be if we let it. Therefore, in all of this seeking, searching, and knocking, we, as children of God, are building up steadfastness.
In James 1:2-4 the Bible states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
So, what does steadfast mean? According to the dictionary, being steadfast means to be immovable and not subject to change. It is to be dedicated to the path and plan that God has set forth in your life. 1 Corinthians 15:58 states that “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Even if the situations and circumstances in your life are difficult to go through, let God do His work in you in those times of life. It is okay to be afraid, but don't let that fear keep you from moving forward with God.
“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart” (Psalm 119:2). I have always asked myself, “What does “seeking with my whole heart mean?” I could not quite understand how to give God my whole heart. But if we look throughout the Bible, we can see that God does not give halfway.
The Bible states in Lamentations 3:22:23 that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” If God, the creator of our own hearts, is always going to love us and give us His heart then we can comprehend in our human minds what it means to seek with our whole hearts.
There have been many times in my own life where I have lost the trust to give my whole heart. We can all relate to this one way or another. Even in Proverbs 4:23, the Bible states, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” So, as we attest to this verse, our seeking God has no room for outside influences.
As we practice more and more to seek and give God our hearts, then there will be no room for the enemy to come in and poison our hearts. The truth of the matter is that we are sinners. We were born into sin (Psalm 51:5), and there will always be a battle for our hearts. Let this battle be God’s to fight as you diligently seek Him.
Father, I pray for each and every person that is seeking you. I do not know their circumstances nor reasonings. But I pray that they all give their whole hearts to you as they are seeking you. I pray that they see your glorious face and that your love will overwhelm them with peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Rebecca Mashburn (Gordon) has a wonderful husband named Joseph. She has a blog, Trust. Lean, Seek and is working on becoming what God is calling her to. She has a bachelor's in psychology and hopes to one day pursue a degree in biblical counseling. Rebecca loves to be in nature, especially in springtime, and she loves to travel. She has a loving family and hopes one day to have children of her own.