Monday, April 28, 2008

joy in seeking

This was a rather lazy weekend for me, but next weekend will be full. I'd like a happy medium, but it seems more often than not it's either one or the other. So I was getting some needed rest (though I've been better at getting rest during weekdays) and slacking off a little too much I'm afraid.

Took a nice walk yesterday evening for a little over a couple of miles. In prayer and with my small Bible in my jacket pocket (it was in the 40's Fahrenheit, though no breeze to speak of). I felt the need to get away from the house and seek the Lord in prayer and in his word. Took a long way around to get to the Stations of the Cross which is near us out in the open. I sit on the bench as far away from the statue of Mary with uplifted hands, as I can get. But while I don't accept all of Roman Catholic theology, I do respect what I know and understand of it, and don't cast it all in the same light as do some of my brothers and sisters in Jesus. Read from 1 Samuel 15 as well as 1 Samuel 3 as I made my way around the stations of the cross, meditating a bit on each station in what was symbolized in the statues concerning Jesus' suffering for us. And it ends in Jesus' resurrection and soon to be ascension, as I take it in the final picture. Than headed out, and as I continued in the neighborhood (none of this is really private because there are houses everywhere) I read the first part of James about trials then continued along, seeking to seek the Lord in prayer.

I've learned not to be distraught if I think I don't "hear" anything from God. And to be measured as to what I think I might be hearing from God. At any rate I was finally nearing the end of my walking journey of meandering down streets for a little over two miles and finally was winding down our street and near home. And the thought came to me something like this: Your joy needs to be in your seeking of me, of God. I need to be taken up with the joy of seeking him.

This makes sense because whatever we find of God along the way, as God reveals it to us is certainly not the end of our knowledge of God. What there is to know about God is endless, and better put, to know God personally and together as his people is also endless as to its possibilities in the depth of this intimate knowledge and love. And the opening up of our capacities for God likewise surely has no end. I'm guessing this will be a part of what the life to come is all about, though it will be heightened and experienced in ways we can only vaguely guess at, yet related to the taste of the Lord and of the good things he has for us we experience at points in time even now.

Joy in seeking. I need to not complain about what I do not know of God and of his beauty, love and greatness. Instead I need to take that as my cue to seek the Lord and find in him all I need and much more. But to be taken up with the joy of seeking God.

What might any of you add to this?

12 comments:

L.L. Barkat said...

I love that picture of you walking around the stations; I felt I could see you seeking as you moved. And there was joy in that.

preacherman said...

Ted,
Excellent post brother.
I cannot add to it because you would have said my thoughts on this anyway! :-)
I hope you have a blessed day brother!
Kinney Mabry

Rachel Mc said...

Thank you for this post! It has put a lot into perspective for me....I'll slow down on my "learning about God" and just let God lead me and I'll listen more. Great post!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yes, L.L. I think you're right there. The joy in that was hardly noticed by me if at all, but I think it was there. It is sobering to think of the sufferings of Jesus, yet at the same time this is for us in so many ways, and ways that paradoxically bring joy.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Thanks, Kinney. Now I know better. You could add alot, brother!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Rachel,
Yes. I need that, too. I'm one to want to do so much and I do less maybe as a result. Because I'm not waiting on and listening to and seeking God sufficiently.

Anonymous said...

dwelling on the knowledge of belonging to God
leads to endless possibilities ~ nancy

what do you think is ment by the joy being "in" the seeking. do you thing that if we live and be aware of seeing God all the views that come into our field of vision and words that come to our mind and ears and in the people around us everywhere we are in every moment of our day and night and expect to see God and hear God that there will be joy in that? i am kind of getting that and wondered if you did.

my latest soft voice of God...at least it sounded that way to me was when i was laying on the bed last week feeling sad and confused about some things...i heard "get up and live" and i have been thinking and kind of applying that into my life...for it was and is very uplifting. it is like i am being led to spend less time thinking and more time looking and being aware of His presence at all times...even standing in line at the post office today...just being aware of Him made opportunity in my mind to talk to the folks around me. that opens up conversation about Jesus. really everyone looked bored and mad until we started to talk to eachother. and i almost shared a Jesus moment...and i was sorry that i did not..but i infered it and got closer than i would if i had not been seeking and seeing God where i was. it king of brings a sense of adventure and mystery to every moment no matter how mundane the world sees that moment. it could even describe it as exciting...or even...joy.

:-)

Anonymous said...

i hope you can make sense of my bad writing...lots of mistakes

gotta get up and live now!

have a good seek.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy,
I appreciate your thoughts and sharing here, and the missional emphasis you give. Yes, that is a big part of what God wants to work in us, for sure.

I think I can so easily be in the way of God or so busy doing this and that that I'm not open to seeing God by faith. I need to reorientate myself to that in all that I do. And I think God is helping me in that direction. Hopefully I'll be more open to that on a more consistent basis.

Ted M. Gossard said...

I think I get the gist of it well. So thanks, Nancy.

Anonymous said...

thanks so much for taking the time to sift through my comments and reply to them..,

i came by to say that i think the link to my photos is correct now.

thanks for telling me.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Thanks, Nancy.