God is Waiting for YOU!
Many people cry out “God, where are you? I need you, but cannot find you in my despair and darkness.” “I cannot feel your presence.” Does this sound like you? If so, the real question is are you actively looking for God? If you are claiming to seek God, but not finding Him, I swear in His Holy Name, you are not truly SEEKING the Lord with all your heart and soul. How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so…
God is not to be mocked or made your slave, He is not with us just to fulfill your every wish and command. No, God created us and He is waiting for us to reach out to Him. The Bible states “We love him, because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19) He took the first step, and now it is our turn.
Therefore, it is important to understand His love and patience while He waits for us to SEEK Him. We seek those we love and God is no different. If we really love Him, we would walk with Him every day, in respect, servitude, and gratitude!
He created us, made a plan for each of us, and suffered for our promised, pain-free eternal life. Now He waits for each and every one of us to put forth the effort necessary to find Him. We are not just to call upon Him during our days of trouble, but we need to FIND Him long before that!
Throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, God beckons us near Him. He makes His presence known and tells us HOW to find Him. It starts with a fervent desire to know Him and then SEEK Him, keeping his position as number ONE in our lives. First, we must understand God WANTS us to be with Him; forever! He has built a path and trained us through example. It is up to us to follow…
Isaiah 30:18 - “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (God wants to be with you and bless you. He wants to comfort you in painful times and celebrate with you during joyous times. It is His deepest desire to be with you, so seek Him with your whole heart and you will gain everything He has planned for you!)
Lamentations 3:25 – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him; to the one who seeks Him” (If we look to the Lord to lead our lives and share our days, His great plan for your life will come to fruition)
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (The Lord is patiently waiting for us to come to Him, repent and follow Him. The reward is a fulfilling life on earth and a blissful eternal life in heaven. While some claim He will never come as they impatiently wait, the truth is that He wants as many of us to be with Him as possible and that means He has to wait for many to wake up)
Zephaniah 3:8 – “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms, and to pour out my wrath on them—all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.” (We need not seek vengeance on those who have wronged us. He will come and give justice to those who have harmed you while redeeming those who are His. Our job is to find Him and keep Him close in every possible way)
1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” (The Lord will lead and help you if you SEEK Him)
James 4:8 – “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (God KNOWS our heart and we must come to Him with pure intentions and our desire for Him must be real. He knows we struggle with worldly ways, but expects us to go to Him and follow Him, not be ripped away by the ways of the world)
Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart.” (Our journey to be with God must be sincere. He knows what you are thinking so you can’t trick Him. He promises if you truly SEEK Him, you will definitely find Him)
Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (As I said above, God must be #1. He will not accept a lower position [read the 10 Commandments]. If He knows you are seeking Him and want to follow His example, then the Kingdom of God is yours!)
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” (His promise to you, but you must LOVE Him and fervently seek Him and follow His ways)
John 6:39-40 – “And this is the will of Him who sent me, [Jesus is speaking of God, The Father] that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For [it is] my Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son [follows His example and teachings] and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (This is the requirement and the promise)
These are just a few of the MANY verses where God makes clear His desire for you to know Him, love Him, and follow Him. This journey starts when you earnestly SEEK Him and truly desire an everlasting relationship with Him. I cannot do this for you. I can just point you in His direction as it is succinctly written in scripture and pray that your heart seeks God first and foremost before ANYTHING or ANYBODY in your life.
As many struggle trying to find God, (feel His presence) the struggle comes from within your heart. God PROMISES if you seek Him, you will find Him, therefore failure to do so means it is your sincerity and effort that is lacking. I ask you to read and meditate on these scriptures, then find as many verses about seeking God as you can in the Bible and do the same with those. The road is not easy and it requires effort on your part, but the reward of having God in charge of your life far outweighs any blessings you can ask for or imagine!
If you enjoyed this sermon check out our others here or if you have questions please send us a message.
Love, hugs, and blessings, Lisa ><>
PS Don’t forget to thank God for everything as we celebrate Thanksgiving this week!