As the book of 1 Chronicles closes out, David is at the end of his reign and he will pass the throne to his son, Solomon. David calls an assembly of the people together and before them all David has some last words of wisdom to give to Solomon. First, he encourages Solomon to have a single-minded devotion to God because nothing less matters since God knows our every intention and our every thought. God knows what motivates us. He knows when what we do is for appearances or when it is heart-felt service to Him.
David also wanted to remind Solomon that God can always be found – if we search for Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, that we will find God if we search for him with all our heart and all our soul. Proverbs 8:17 says that those who diligently seek God will find Him. David knew from his own experience what it meant to search for God. In Psalm 63:1 he says, “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.”
If you are searching for God, then what is your motivation? Do you really want to find Him and have a relationship with Him or is God more of a “genie in a bottle” that you can use to further your own plans and agenda? Seeking God is about developing an intimate relationship with Him, not just to get what you want when you want it. Does your soul thirst for God – to point of feeling faint? Does your relationship to God feel parched as in a dry, weary land where there is no water? When talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said that He was the living water. He told her, “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.” (John 4:14) If your soul is feeling parched, come to the well where Jesus offers living water and take a drink by asking Him to forgive you of your sins and invite Him into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior.
In 1 Chronicles 29 David has already given Solomon his plans for building a temple to house the Ark. David tells the assembly of people about the gold and silver that he is giving from his own personal treasury to go to the construction of the temple. He then invites the people to give of their own choice as well. He says to the crowd in verse 5, “Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” To consecrate simple means to “set apart.” If you are searching for God, this same question can apply to you – Are you willing to consecrate yourself to God? Are you willing to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and live obediently for God? If your answer is yes, tell Him. Call on His name and when you search for Him with all your heart and your motivation to find Him is to have a personal relationship with Him, then you will find Him.
Lastly, if you are searching for God, then where are you searching? God can reveal Himself to us in many different ways, such as the words of a song, something the pastor says in his message, or the encouraging word from a friend. However, God is most often found through reading the Bible and spending time in prayer, talking with Him. If you are not spending time in personal Bible study and prayer, then searching for God needs to begin here. As you open your Bible, take a moment and ask God to speak to you through what you read and to reveal Himself to you. When a certain verse seems to stand out or leap off the page to you – highlight that verse and take some time to meditate on it. Ask God what He might be trying to say to you through it. If you apply that verse to you life right now, how might that look?
If you are searching God, check your motivations and intentions, search with all your heart, develop a single-minded devotion to God, consecrate yourself to Him, and commit to daily fellowship with Him through Bible study and prayer. He wants to be found.
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel
Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
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Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.
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