“No other thing in all of life will so satisfy your spirit as being alone with the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is what contentment is all about.”  Dr. Charles Stanley

One reason so many people love the Christmas season is because it gives us a chance to reflect:  on our life, on our family and most importantly, on our spiritual life.  There seems to be more opportunities during this season where we can take stock of our life and see where we are and where we want to go.  

It’s the end of the year and so we begin to make goals for the New Year.  We are usually around our family more and so we may see either the successes or the needs for improvement with them.  And we also will hear more about Jesus than at other times of the year through all the television shows, songs on the radio as well as extra times at church.

But does all this activity encourage us to seek Him?  I pray that it will for you.  However, we have to act purposefully in seeking Him, for the rewards of pursuing God are great.  Scripture tells us that “they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing” (Psalm 34:10).

How do we seek God?  By desiring to know Him, with all of your heart, mind and soul, in the most intimate relationship.  It means have a sense of a growing oneness with Him, where Jesus is no longer just our distant Savior and Lord but an intimate friend who walks with us moment by moment and day by day.  It means needing Him more than anything else in your life.

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Action Plan

Ways to seek God:

1. 1. Read His word daily.  Our Bible is actually a love letter written to us to show our Father’s love to us.  Open it with excitement and eagerness because you will learn and come to understand your God better, day by day.

2. Pray to Him daily.  Prayer is nothing more than talking to your heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is you and I having a conversation with the Trinity!  What could be more exciting than that!

3. Worship Him!  Express thanksgiving and gratitude to Him!  Nothing will take your eyes off of yourself and your problems better than when we worship our Lord!  And when we say “thank you” to Him, we will find ourselves content in whatever circumstance we are in.

4. Surround yourself with Him.  Let your conversation, your books, your friends, in other words your whole life be full of walking with and being with the Lord.

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Manna from Heaven

 “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”  Psalm 63: 1-5 

Advent Week 4: December 19 – Read Luke 2:11, 13-14

“The greatest sermon ever preached was delivered by angels on this historic night.  It has always been interesting to me that this message was delivered at night.  It wasn’t night because the sun had gone down.  It was night because the world was surrounded in spiritual and moral gloom.  People were driven by greed, intolerance, and lust for power.  Religion had become a device for the rich in the exploitation of the poor.  Men robbed and swindled and profiteered under the cloak of religion; they even fought wars in the name of religion.  In every arena of life, it was night when Jesus came.

Things haven’t changed.  Today, there seems to be a moral night that has settled over our world – sexual immorality, pleasure-mad people, lusting for money and power – the same as it was in the days when Jesus came 2,000 years ago.

It is in the darkest hour that Christ often comes.  He brings the joy, the thrill, the peace, and the glory such as you have never known when you and your loved ones give your lives to Him.

How has Jesus shown Himself to you in your darkest hour?”

From the pamphlet, “Arrival – Preparing to Celebrate Christ’s Birth, Advent Mediations” by Billy Graham.

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Emotional Check-Up

In order to be able to seek God, we need fewer distractions in our life.  When you are having a quiet time with Him, turn off your cell phone, computer and of course, television.  In other words, simplify your environment…and focus on Him.

Next, set a place in your home where you meet with the Lord.  It could be a special chair, corner, or any quiet place.  But once you have a place where you can meet Him, you will begin to sense that He is with you every time you go there.  Even if you only meet with Him for 5 minutes, this one-on-one time with the Lord will change your life.  Problems and pressures will not seem as great and peace and joy will replace them.

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Healthy Fit-Fact

It would seem obvious that aggression-fueled video games, those full of violence, rage, murder, etc., would not be healthy for our children or anyone for that matter.  Well, the evidence is in that agrees with that.  An analysis of 130 studies found that gaming in which characters can harm others makes kids more aggressive and less caring, says study author Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa Sate University.  

So, don’t buy these games or allow your children to play them.  The world is already so full of darkness that we certainly don’t need to encourage it.  We need to point our children to those things that bring light into the world.

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May you have a blessed week seeking Christ!