2011/ Day 16: Seekers

I am finding that these days of fasting are bringing clarity to my thoughts.  I can’t explain it, but it just seems like life is becoming more simplified as the days proceed.  Trust me, I’m not complaining.  My life seems to be in perpetual motion and this is good.

Today I asked myself, "What am I searching for?  Will I know it when I’ve found it?"  There are a lot of things I wanted to add to my list of goals at the beginning of the fast, but I’ve found it better to allow the Holy Spirit to set in my heart the desire and then pursue what my Lord desires for me. 

I love the Word and the way the Holy Spirit led its penmen to capture the heart of God for people and churches.  If you read the beginning of each letter to the New Testament churches, you will find commendations for certain things.  I was impressed by what Paul commended the Thessalonians for!  “We continually remember…your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

It took me a moment after reading this verse to think about what Paul didn’t commend them for.  Honestly, it seems like they were not doing very much. In fact, I asked myself why he didn’t commend them for the things we think of as outwardly spiritual: healings, miracles, fostering a spirit of revival, multitudes of converts, and other outward manifestations of things we believe a church ought to be witnessing. 

Not so fast! Maybe these things were happening and we just don’t know it.  And then again, maybe they weren’t. What really caused Paul to feel encouraged was the fact that this church was active in what pleased God!  Take a moment and ponder the three statements:

·         Work produced by Faith

·         Labor prompted by Love

·         Endurance inspired by Hope

Question…Were any of these three on the list of what you wanted to receive from the Lord when you started your fast?  If not, why?  And, how are you doing in these areas?  It takes as much power of the Holy Spirit to cultivate Faith, Hope and Love as it does to see one of the outwardly spiritual things mentioned on my earlier list.  I don’t have to be a super saint to receive a compliment from God and neither do you. Let’s seek what Paul’s friends in Thessalonica sought--the Heart of God.

I’ll meet you at the Throne,

Pastor George