With All Your Heart

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

(Deuteronomy 4:29)

On this last day of the year, as we prepare our resolutions for the New Year (and remember to write “2013” instead of “2012”), let’s take a moment to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord. What an incredible promise we are given in Deuteronomy, that we will find Him if we seek Him with all of our hearts!

In his devotional book, In His Presence, Charles Stanley offers some practical helps for seeking the Lord. Stanley writes:

Seek God out of your need but be willing to accept His solution.  Many of the psalms are the heart cries of God's people in deep distress.  Their persecution, loneliness, anxiety, fears, and troubles have led them to a point of desperation. God often uses extremity to press you to Himself.  You seek Him because you are in arduous straits.

Be careful not to seek the quick or easy way out of your dilemma. That would lessen your pain, but it may not be God's way of escape.  Don't let the urgency of your need obscure God's wise and loving answer.

Seek counsel from others.  Seeking God first and foremost is about knowing who He is.  However, realize that He frequently reveals Himself through the counsel of others.  When you seek God, you are receptive to the means He chooses to help and comfort you, including the loving touch of a friend, pastor, or counselor.  Be alert to His leadership as you read Christian material and converse with other believers

.

Try fasting as part of the seeking process. Fasting can be helpful on occasions, especially when your need is crucial. Skip a meal or two---or more as God directs-and you will find your focus on Christ even sharper. Fasting indicates you mean serious business with God.

As we enter into this time of Great Beginnings, let’s take the time to seek the Lord and to encourage one another in seeking Him.

Happy New Year, and have a blessed Great Beginning!