Seeking the Lord

 

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:6-9 ESV).

 

I am always amazed at how the Lord teaches me. There are those times when it is a hard learned lesson in difficult circumstances, though most of the time I learn in the simple experiences of life. Last year Mary and I were privileged to spend a week with David, Becca, and their children Maggie, Lucy, and Harris (pictured here). They rented a cabin in the southern end of the Smokies. It was an incredible time as we enjoyed being with our children and grandchildren. It was also a time when the Lord reminded me of how much joy can be found in our journey simply looking for him.

 

This truth came during one of my “hikes” with the grandkids. The name of the cabin we stayed in was “Owl Hollow.” A part of the outdoor activities the owners had devised was searching for the twelve owls that had been placed on the property. You can see in the picture that we found one sitting on a stump not far from the cabin. We searched throughout the property and ultimately did find them all. It was a fun exercise as we tromped through the wooded area talking and laughing together.

 

The Lord intends us to “seek Him.” I am not indicating that He is far away; in fact, He is within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, I would remind us that knowing He is present and “finding” Him are different. The first is passive, while the latter is very dynamic and active. When I actively seek the Lord, I am always much better prepared when circumstances crowd into my life making it seem He is nowhere to be found.

 

I wonder if this may be a time in your life when you need to take a little “hike” to find the Lord? The trail is well traveled and marked clearly. Tomorrow we will begin to prepare for the celebration of Christmas in the devotionals. Perhaps it would be fun to find all the Old Testament descriptions of who this child would be in prophecy; or perhaps reading through the Gospel of Luke would be your path. There are many others as well. Join me on this search! It will be a point of encouragement and peace as you do.