Passionately Pursuing God

Matthew 5: 3 - 10, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." NKJV

Deep in the heart of every person, there is a void that only God can fill. No one or nothing can satisfy this emptiness except the love and the presence of God. However, there's only one way of filling the void, we must pursue the Lord with all our hearts. If we hunger after God and His righteousness, we shall be filled. 

If we desire to be blessed and to live a full life, then it will require us to pursue Jesus with all that is within us. The psalmist wrote in psalms 42, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God." Therefore, in order receive the blessings that Jesus pronounced over us in today's scriptures, we will need to develop a passion for Him. When we become passionate for Jesus, He can fill our thirsty hearts with His love and goodness. Once our dry souls experience the refreshment that comes from being in the presence of God, we will become empowered to forsake all else in our quest for more of God.

Nevertheless, we can't have a full, healthy relationship with God if we don't first have a hunger to know and to live His Word. David wrote this about God's Word. He said, "Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against it." David didn't try to confront sin in his own power, but rather he submitted himself to God's Word, and it gave him power over sin. In this same way, we must be willing to get in God's Word, and allow it to get in our hearts by applying it to our everyday lives. When we "do" the Word, it will liberate us from the flesh nature. Consequently, we can seek after the Lord with reckless abandon. 

In our pursuit to seek God, and to have the void in our heart filled to overflowing, we will have to guard our hearts against complacency and weariness. Therefore, we must be serious about our walk and our relationship with Jesus. James tells us in his epistle that we have to be doers of the Word, lest we deceive ourselves. In other words, it's not enough just to say I want a deeper walk with God; we have to be willing to discipline ourselves to obey God's Word, even when it costs us.  Sacrifices will be required, but remember; God is a debtor to no one. 

If you feel as though you've been living in a spiritually dry season, and you're ready for it to end, then you'll have to take a step of faith. Just as faith without works is dead, if you don't follow your desire to become closer to God with actions, then you won't experience a change; and you could grow weary in our pursuit and give up prematurely. 

God has told us in Hebrews 11: 6 that those who come to Him must believe that He is, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Therefore, since we have the promise of being rewarded for our pursuit of God, we must keep the prize in the forefront of our minds, so that we can endure until the blessings begin to flow and flood our being.

I cannot emphasize enough how vitally important it is for us to live by the Word of God in order to be successful in our pursuit of God. As we apply the Word of God to our hearts through obedience to it, it will surgically remove the flesh from around our spiritual hearts. In fact, in John 8, Jesus told the Jews, who had believed on Him because of the truth that He had spoken, that if they continued in His Word, they would know the truth; and it would make them free. Only by knowing and keeping the Word will we be liberated from the bondage of the flesh nature and walk in our inheritance as the children of God.

If you're ready to pursue God so that the void in your heart can be filled with His presence, then take a few minutes and read Ephesians 6. In this chapter, you will learn the importance of making yourself submitted and accountable to obeying God's Word. When we submit to the Word, it will cause us to become strong in the Lord and walk in the power of His might. Did you catch that?  Applying God's Word to our lives to the point that it changes our speech, behavior, and character will cause us to walk in God's power... not struggle in our weakness. Are you ready to take the passion challenge? For details about the "Passion Challenge," just click on the link. http://www.whcnorth.org/passion30.html

Passionately Pursuing God,

Pastor Asa Dockery