Meeting God is like taking singing lessons. We frequently have an inward experience when we encounter God. Yes, there are some external events that can occur, but they frequently don’t reveal the true inside state of a person. Because we are all unique beings, everyone will experience God in a unique way. That can make spiritual encounters difficult to comprehend and convey. It takes both humility and bravery to approach God. It takes courage to stand before God virtually nude and humility to gaze in the mirror and be honest with ourselves. In order to realize that I am a creature in need of God’s love and mercy and not God, humility requires me to stand before God essentially naked and recognize who I really am.
When you have a spiritual encounter, you won’t need someone to tell you that God has touched you—you will just know it. Deep discoveries of long-hidden secrets and the lifting of curses accompany a celestial encounter. A chance encounter will alter your perspective; the same person who was destroying Christians afterward became a follower of Christ.
Key Points
● We must seek Him, God wants to be pursued
● We must seek Him wholeheartedly
● We must seek Him with diligence
(Deuteronomy 4:29) “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.”
Background:
The Israelites are about to enter the promised land as Moses addresses them. They are Israelites who fled Egypt in the second generation. The parents, or the first generation of Israelites, had long since perished. The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land some 40 years ago, but they were terrified when they saw that giants resided there. They were disobedient and refused to travel despite God’s assurances that He had prepared this place for them and would provide them with success. In order to ensure that generation would pass away, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. This second generation of Israelites must now enter the “Promised Land.” They were devoted to God. They received a brief history of Israel from Moses, who also informs them of all the wonders God had performed. Moses also instructed them to abide by God’s rules and commandments. It was commanded to the children of Israel not to forget these commandments and to pass them down to their offspring and future generations.
All would be good for the Israelites if they obeyed God’s commands and continued to worship only Him. However, if they created idols and rebelled against God, they wouldn’t remain on the land for very long before being dispersed. Deuteronomy 4:29 makes the most magnificent promise, though: God guaranteed that even though they might be dispersed and without a nation to call home, if they looked for Him with all their heart, soul, and mind, they would find Him.We all know that the Israelites disobeyed God, were dispersed around the world, and fought several wars for hundreds of years. The fact that God maintained His
promise and we are the generation witnessing Israel’s restoration as a nation-state is wondrous and fascinating.
(Proverbs 8:17) “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Manifesting the traps and dangers of life, the allures and unsatisfactory nature of all sensual and sinful pleasures, the blessings of true religion, and the solid happiness that an upright soul derives from the peace and approval of its Creator, wisdom also teaches man to know himself and to see God’s will for him. Therefore, if the heart accepts this knowledge, adheres to this divine instruction, and submits to God, the Holy Spirit’s power will cause his love to be shed abroad in it.As a result, we love God because he first loved us. As we grow in our love for God, we will experience more of his love, which will allow us to continue growing in our love for him throughout eternity.
(Jeremiah 29:13) “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Yes, if you look for God with all of your heart today, you can also find Him. He is expecting your presence in front of Him right now. Desiring God entails seeking His presence as well as a personal relationship, fellowship, and level of intimacy with Him. looking for His ideas and methods, as well as his spiritual advice for your life. God wants to give you what you need today: healing, restoration, confidence in His involvement and presence in your circumstances, faith and trust in the face of uncertainty.
In the Old Testament, it is known that they did not have access to God, only the high priests were allowed to enter the sacred place. However, in the new covenant, all have witnessed the depth and resurrection of Jesus Christ; we experience the love of God; we have the same intimacy with God
What should we feed our souls with?
Whether we mean to or not, we nourish our spirits. You are feeding your spirit something else if you are not feeding it the Word of God. What are you feeding it?Our spirits require regular nourishing, here are some ways:
● Hear the word of God
● Read the Bible
● Study the Bible
● Meditate on God’s word
● Obey God’s word
● Sing God’s word
● Share God’s word
(Corinthians 9:24-27) 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Seek the Lord with all your heart and discard every ounce of pride.
Spiritual Pride
Pride affects how we interact with both God and other people. That which is unwilling to pardon is self-righteous pride. Another sign of pride is the refusal to acknowledge one’s own failings and transgression and to ask for forgiveness. It poses a threat. It is a fact that pride causes marriages to fail and families to split up every day. If you believe that you are superior to others, pride might prevent you from offering assistance, but it can also prevent you from accepting assistance when you need it. Since it is a mentality, we must use discernment to start dealing with it in our life in a way that is appropriate. You see, it is much simpler to determine whether we are obeying or disobeying when it comes to passages in the Bible where we are instructed to do something or to not do something. But take note: pride extends beyond outward behavior to the inner motivations and attitudes that underlie our outward behavior. We should pray to God to help us recognize our pride.We must take into account not only what we do but also the inner motives of the heart when we hear God’s Word this evening and as we read God’s Word throughout the week. Of course, pride would prevent anyone from genuinely hearing and taking God’s word into consideration.
Forgiveness vs Reconciliation
Reconciliation and forgiveness are not the same thing since forgiveness doesn’t demand anything from the person we are forgiving. They need not even be aware that we are pardoning them. Reconciliation requires the perpetrator to express repentance, but even then, the offender is not allowed to set the parameters of reconciliation.
Should a husband pardon his wife after discovering her affair? Yes. Scripture states that both a command and an expectation are placed on him. Is reconciliation anticipated, though? That is dependent on various elements. She must first turn from her sin. She must refrain from betraying her husband. Without this deed, reconciliation is impossible. However, even if she confesses to having an affair, it can take some time and continued loyalty on her part before she and her husband can be reconciled. Even then, the relationship can be beyond repair because of the irreversible harm caused by the trust violation. In other words, she does not have power over the terms of reconciliation because she was the one who sinned against her spouse. Although she must accept his forgiveness, reconciliation requires a different foundation. Repentance, the restoration of trust, and ultimately God’s grace are all necessary for reconciliation to take place.
Cross References:
John 9:24-34
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Matthew 5:23-24
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Deuteronomy 4:29
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.
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you
Luke 11:9-10
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.