Tag: Seek me diligently

19.z. “Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? “

Romans 8:26   Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 

James 4:3    You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Job 27:8-10   For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?  Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?  Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? 

Psalms 18:41  They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

Proverbs 1:28  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Zechariah 7:13   “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts,

Proverbs 21:13     Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

For those who believe and rely on, cling to, and trust in Jesus Christ alone, the Holy Spirit’s help in intercession is perfect because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God.  The aching soul of those who humbly surrenders, trust, and has faithful confidence in God will be heard by God even though words fail to come to them to appropriately express their ache, want, hurt, and need. There is comfort in laying this before God.  However, this is not so for those who deny any reliance or need of God and His ways.  God will not answer them.  He closes His ear to them.  He will cut them off.  They will be left to their own resources, none of which will satisfy their need.  Their heartache will not be satisfied.  I have to think their heart will become hard and their stance against God more firm.  They will avail themselves to be the agent of Satan and do his bidding without giving it a second thought.  God does not negotiate His love or His wrath.  For those who do not fully surrender to His Holiness, Love, Grace, and Mercy through Jesus Christ, they will receive in full all of God’s wrath.  Those who do surrender will receive in full all of God’s love.

They Grumbled

“Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

Exodus 15:23  When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.  And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”  And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,  saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Exodus 16:2     And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

Numbers 11:1-6     And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.

Numbers 14:2   And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

Numbers 16:11    Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”

Numbers 16:41    But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron,

Numbers 20:2-5     Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.  And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!  Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?  And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Numbers 21:5     And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

Jude 1:16    These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires;

Philippians 2:14   Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

Matthew 6:25     “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Grumbling? What is it that creeps into our lives that make us grumble?  Can you hear it in the voice of the people in these verses?  Note how God had just split the Red Sea, the people crossed over on dry ground and the whole Egyptian army was wiped out and now there is a little test put on them with food and water.  What did they do? Grumbled.

Take a quick glance back at all the times God has been faithful in your life.  What is it that you are facing that is greater than what God can do?  Is He testing you?  Are you grumbling?  Are you looking for something other than God’s provision and timing?

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He will not change.  Yet we (I) allow doubt to creep in.  Faith does not allow doubt.  Faith waits.  Faith trusts.  Faith knows God is in control.

What ever it is that is casting doubt on God’s faithfulness – stop it – humbly seek to serve, honor, glorify, and praise Him through it.

Why does He seem far away

“And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.“

Psalms 27:5  For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

Psalms 10:1   Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Proverbs 1:24-28  Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,  because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,  when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 

Jeremiah 2:26  “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets,  who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’

Hosea 13:5  It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.

Deuteronomy 8:12-14  lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,  and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,  then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,

Psalms 10:4  In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Revelation 3:15-17  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

David proclaims; “he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock”.  Why are there times in our lives that we don’t seem to find God’s shelter or feel we are under His cover, or being lifted up out of our troubles?  Scripture is full of warnings and outcomes.  These outcomes are  due to direct choices we have made.  Read them, they are clear.  When God called we did not listen.  We ignored His counsel. We have sought comfort in things created and not the creator. In our comfort we have forgotten Him. In plenty our hearts are lifted up and see no need of God.  In our pride we do not look to Him. Our faith and works are lukewarm.  We live in comfort and do not see need for God in our lives.  When we do such things God says: “I will spit you out of my mouth”, “I will not answer”, “They will not find me” and “I will hide from you”.  So to answer why does God seem far away to our cry for help – is because we have chosen a path that does not have God leading.  Have we chosen to follow our own path?  Have we chosen “NOT” listen to Him?  There must be a heart and mind change.  Confess, repent, and seek Him, listen, follow, and obey Him, write His words on your heart and mind and meditate on them.  Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him in the evening, Praise Him all day long.  Our purpose this side of eternity is to be a humble servant, honoring and glorifying Him alone.  This life is not without consequence. To those who choose to live it apart from God there is a false peace they take comfort in and they do not believe a promise/warning from God that they will spend eternity in Hell, total separation from God.   To those who choose to be a humble servant honoring and glorifying God there is true purpose with peace now and promise of even greater things in His presence in eternity in heaven.

Rejected knowledge

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

Exodus 19:5
and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Proverbs 1:28
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.

They hated knowledge.  They rejected knowledge. They lacked knowledge. They did not choose the fear of the Lord.  And because of this God said: “I will reject you.”  “I will punish you.”  “I will not answer them.”  “I will forget your children.”  “I will not allow them to find me.”  “I will let them eat the fruit of their ways.”  “I will change the glory to shame.”  These are all recorded and given to us for the purpose of knowledge, understanding, insight, and warning.  Why is it that we listen to God’s saving grace and mercy but live  not serving, not fearing, not listening, not desiring, not seeking, not obeying…….?  Your life will not have any true peace, rest, purpose without total surrender to Him.  Choose to desire Him.  Choose to seek Him.  Choose to honor and glorify Him.  Choose knowledge of Him.  Choose Him above all this world has to offer.  Keep track today and see where your thoughts are and what your actions are.  Are they in line with Gods word?  Are they what would honor and glorify God?  Are they out of a desire to humbly serve and honor and glorify God?