Seeking God Markers
If you want to add value, substance and depth to your spiritual journey, here are two significant ways you can do that!
Look to Jesus
Help others to look to Him!
The first step in the journey of the Radiant Ones is to look to Jesus and to be aware of His presence. As Christ-followers our pursuit is for God Himself. It is our responsibility to experience Him for ourselves, as opposed to merely possessing knowledge of Him.
As you read through this blog, know that God delights in your desire to pursue His presence and live the life of a ‘radiant one’ – His original intent, design and purpose for your life. Allow your heart to be encouraged, soul to be challenged, and spirit to be stirred towards our Radiant King!
‘GOD THINGS’ vs ‘GOOD THINGS’
Not every ‘good thing’ is necessarily a ‘God thing’. Not every good dream is necessarily a God dream. Not every good desire is necessarily God's desire for you!
Consider this :
Seeking God and experiencing the presence of Jesus Christ is a God thing. Being a part of church gatherings is a good thing.
Spending time reading and meditating on the scriptures is a God thing. Having a collection of study Bibles, audio books that discuss God is a good thing.
Living your life as a disciple of Jesus and sharing about Jesus with your friends and loved ones is a God thing. Attending outreach events and conferences is a good thing.
The authentic pursuit of God begins when we realize there is a difference between cherishing the good in life, and cherishing God! This is the difference between enjoying the God-given pleasures of life, as opposed to loving and embracing the pleasures offered to us by the world. One feeds our flesh, while the other sustains our spirit!
How can we then sharpen our senses to discern that which is just ‘good’, and that which is God-breathed?
Those who know the presence of God will also recognize the absence of it. The more we become familiar with the presence of Jesus and sensitive to the promptings of His Spirit, the easier it is to distinguish between the things that merely help us lead a good life, and those that lead to a Radiant Life!
SECULAR vs SACRED
For a Christ-follower, there is no distinction between the 'secular‘ and the ‘sacred’. When you accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, your commitment to him extends beyond your Sundays. It is not just your spiritual life you are surrendering to Him - it is ALL OF IT! All our lives are lived before the eyes of the Lord! This includes the mundane, the mysterious, and the moments of ministry.
The scriptures, along with the Holy Spirit, teach us to integrate our faith, beliefs, values and convictions into every aspect of life. The more we live according to God's standards, the more we are able to integrate our spiritual lives into the secular spaces of society. It is at this point that the presence of Jesus begins to overflow from our being, leaving a trail in every room we enter. The words we speak, our gestures, and our countenance - even our smiles - become graced by the glory of God. The very atmosphere around you begins to change - because you carry and reflect the radiance of Jesus!
THE RADIANT LIFE OF DAVID
Psalms 63: 1-11 gives us a glimpse of David’s passionate pursuit of the presence of God. His incredible zeal and yearning for the Lord, in spite of His circumstances is seen as he penned down Psalm 63.
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
This is one of the most powerful declarations of David! Not because of its eloquence or expressive lyrical arrangement, but because of the circumstances under which it was composed. His journey into the wilderness was not some mere escape into the woods. He didn’t go because he loved solitude and needed his space. Neither was it for the beauty of nature that helped his songwriting process. This psalm was written while He was running for his life! He was running from his son and the troops deployed to have him dead. He left behind his title, his position, his possessions, his wives and pretty much all of the cherished 'good things' of his life. Despite this, David still finds the courage to turn to God and behold His beauty! Even in the midst of life-threatening circumstances, his hunger and thirst for God did not cease.
THERE 3 THINGS WE CAN TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PSALM!
#1 THE PERSON WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD HAS INNER SATISFACTION | Verse 5
“I overflow with praise when I come before you, for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else. You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.” -Psalm 63:5 TPT
David’s soul was at rest. Even in the middle of calamity, which would push many to fall apart emotionally, David had inner peace and calm. He found contentment in God.
#2 THE PERSON WHO SEEKS GOD HAS INNER JOY | Verse 7, 11
I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy! - Psalm 63:7 TPT
These liars will be silenced forever! But with the anointing of a king I will dance and rejoice along with all his lovers who trust in him. - Psalm 63:11 TPT
David experienced joy independent of his circumstances. Although his whole world was crumbling, he held on to the loyal love of God, and rejoiced his way to victory.
#3 THE PERSON WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD HAS INNER STABILITY AND BALANCE | Verse 7-8
I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy! With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart.Psalm 63:7-8 TPT
God was David’s help. Under God's wings, David sought refuge, just as a chick seeks refuge under the wing of a mother hen. The inner resource of God’s strength kept him steady through the storm.
In his roles as shepherd and king, David never separated the sacred from the secular. In everything that He did, he integrated God's expectations, standards and desires. He had a heart that sought after God, and a life that exemplified the beautiful integration of the sacred and the secular. The lifestyle of a Radiant One requires us to be consistent in our choice between 'Good' and 'God,' just as David did.
Becoming a Radiant One is the result of earnestly seeking God!
Seeking God is the “setting of the mind and heart” on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God. It’s not an obligation, but a priority! It’s not a duty, but a delight. It’s the simple step of fixing our eyes on Jesus!
As much as we wait for every good thing from God, God is waiting on you to diligently go after Him above everything else.
Seek God in the midst of your work by acknowledging his wisdom and foresight
Seek God in the midst of your relationships by displaying the love, grace and forgiveness we have received through Jesus
Seek God in the midst of your emotional journeys by allowing Jesus to heal and build your soul
Seek God in and through every opportunity you get this year to allow His light to shine in you and through you!
In seeking Him, choosing Him, and walking in His ways – we begin to live in the reward that it brings – being ‘radiant with joy’!
Choose you this day, to become the RADIANT ONE that Jesus has crafted you to be!