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https://ozsazzles.podbean.com/e/seeking-god-a-journey-of-faith-and-redemption/

If we are lucky enough to have a Bible, either physically or online, we have access to a love letter from God.

The Bible contains all wisdom and the great and many promises of God to the people who love him.

The New Testament provides clear guidelines of how to live:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

God loves us and wants us to love Him and follow Him. He has spared nothing not even His one and only son, who came in human form to bring us the good news and died on a cross and rose again to save us. God invites us every moment of every day to notice Him and to meet with Him and know Him. But he wants us to seek Him earnestly.

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

In the western world, it is easy to be distracted from getting to know God. We put our efforts into the here and now. The tasks of every day life. Working on our career and building a family. Perhaps we are concentrating on our next holiday, or the next big purchase. We think life is too busy. We prioritise TV shows, movies and other activities. We put it off, thinking we have forever. Unfortunately, this has been true of my walk with God.

When I was first touched by God, I was 12 years old. I had been given a small red Gideons New Testament at school. Everyone in Year 8 received one. I had never read the bible before. I don’t think we had one in our Catholic household. I can remember being entranced while reading the miraculous and powerful ministry of Jesus. When I read Matthew’s description of his later betrayal, death and resurrection I was overcome. Tears flowed uncontrollably. I had heard these things many times before, when I was in church. But, this time was different.

As a teenager I wandered away from Him, returning briefly at 17, only to slip away into a partying lifestyle. Then at 23, I found myself single and pregnant to a married man. I had a few options, keep the baby and live with the shame, adopt the baby out or terminate the pregnancy.

Thankfully, God placed a word in my heart, even though I had no real understanding of Him, and I was not walking with him at this time:

“this baby is a gift from God”

I kept my precious baby boy who turned my heart to God. He has grown into a good strong man with a family of his own. When my son was six months old God sent me a beautiful man who became my husband.  He loves and cherishes me, my son, his sisters, and our entire family.

Sadly, more than ten years later, my husband and I were offended by people in our church and we decided to leave. I never thought I would fall so far away. It would be seventeen years later, when my one-year-old grandson was in ICU in a coma, on the brink of death that I returned to the Lord.

All up, I had wasted twenty-four years of my life distracted and turned away from my Lord. I thought I had forever…. Now, I sought the Lord with all my heart, jumping on any opportunity that arose to get closer.

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.  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him.  For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

Deuteronomy 4:29-31 (NIV)

Looking back, I wondered, why did I cry as a 12-year-old when I had already heard about Jesus’ death and resurrection many times in the past from the pulpit? It’s simple. God’s word comes alive and real when we read it for ourselves. The Holy Spirit touches us in a special way, when we pursue God. The Rhema word of God lights an unquenchable fire in our bellies. When we seek Him through reading the bible, even passages we have read many times before are suddenly made clear. He reveals his heart to us when we yearn for Him and lean into Him.

God also shares His love, goodness and promises with us when we spend time in His presence, when we talk to him, when we pray, praise or worship. He can do this directly and indirectly through His audible voice, scriptures in the bible, nature, other people, dreams, visions, a feeling or sensation, or dropping a word into our spirit as well as other ways.

So, I urge you, don’t wait to seek God. Pursue Him now. We don’t have as much time as we think, the years pass by quickly. The benefits of following Jesus far outweigh the momentary pleasures of this world.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog. I’d love to hear how your journey with God is going. If you’d like to subscribe or comment, please do so below. God bless you!

Sources:

• Bible Gateway
• NIV
• NKJV