How Can I learn about God?

There are so many systems of thought and beliefs how do I know which will lead to God?

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go: I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8 

I WILL
God wants to instruct and teach us. He does not want us to go about in the dark not knowing the way. He says, "I will..." this expresses His intent and design; His purpose to teach and guide us.

The spiritual nature of His instruction is not something we could come to on our own because God's ways are holy. We need him to instruct us in his ways and to teach us how His ways fit in the world.

THE WAY
The way to God is the way to live life. Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)  There is a right way to live life and a way to have eternal life. God wants us to find that right way.

COUNSEL
Counsel is what you give an equal. God has given us free will and he guides us to use it wisely. He does not force His instructions on us but wants us to take it and make the good choice so we become partners with Him in doing good works.

LOVING EYE
He watches with love and care. His eye is always on us because He loves us; and because He loves us He teaches, instructs, and counsels us.

PROGRESS
There is a purpose in His steps.
     * Instruct is like a father to a child where He lays foundations in our lives.
     * Teaching is like a mentor to an apprentice where He builds on the foundation.
     * Counsel is like two adults sitting at a table as friends and one gives the other advice.

OUR PART
Psalm 32:9 says, "Do not be like the horse or the mule; which have no understanding but must be controlled with bit and bridle." Our Heavenly Father wants to teach, lead, and counsel us but we have to respond. We must not be stubborn but yield to His teaching. When we hear a Bible truth and don't like it we must not reject it for that is rejecting God's teaching guidance and counsel. This leaves The Lord no alternative but to guide us by bit and bridle, which is with circumstances we cannot control.

Be open to God. He gave us his Word, the Bible, read it. He gave us prayer, so talk to Him, He gave us community so find a church that loves God and his Word. He wants to be found -keep looking.

To learn more about finding the way to God see my other blog click here.

(c) Adron Dozat

Does A Believer Still Need To Seek The Lord?

Often we hear, "Seek the Lord while he may be found.*" It suggests that you must come to the Savor before it is too late. But after that, do you no longer need to seek God with all your heart?

“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” Psalm 119:2 NIV.

BLESSED

This verse promises blessing, which conveys more to seeking the Lord than just coming to salvation. Blessings await those who keep on seeking him.

When God says blessed, He does not get specific because His greatness and generosity won't be bound. This is very open-ended, and truly we cannot imagine all it is.

WITH ALL

To do something with all your heart is to pursue it with passion and obsession to exclude other things; you think about it the time, and you spend time, money, and effort in its pursuit.

SEEK THE LORD

To say, "Seek the Lord" is open-ended, it could mean:

• Seek to find Him for salvation.
• Seek to find Him in a decision or circumstance.
• Seek to find a fresher, deeper, and clearer view of the Lord.
• Seek a deeper practical presence of the Lord.
• It could be so personal that we each have our own intimate definition.

DAILY SEEKING

You must be committed to finding the Lord in practical life. Seek Him in daily situations, especially in major decisions and small ones too. Have the attitude that every event of our day is brought before the Lord in prayer; this is seeking the presence of the Lord. Try to do this with a lot of little prayers, like when you get in the car, or arrive at work, or before starting a chore.  Make regular rest stops in your day to be quiet before the Lord and wait on his prompting in your heart. Have set times like morning devotions where you are free from distractions and spend time with Him in Bible reading, prayer, and quiet meditation.

As you try to seek the Lord try to remember these things:

• Pray, and ask the Lord to change your heart to want to seek him.
• Search the scriptures, which reveal the Lord.
• Practice the presence of the Lord and seek Him throughout the day.
• Stop hurrying and take opportunities for spontaneous prayer and rest in him.
• Confess and forsake things that block your view of the Lord.
• Be willing for God to change your understanding of Him.
• Be open to personal change.

To seek the Lord is to find blessing.

 * Isaiah 55:6 
(c)Adron Dozat 7/18/13

Where Can You Go To Meet With God? Psalm 42:1-2

Where can you go to meet with God? If he is all-present then He should be here right now, but somehow we do not sense He is with us.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2. NIV.

THIRST
We all have a thirst for something. We keep trying to satisfy our thirst for meaning in our lives; we try with material possessions, relationships status, or something else. It may be we are looking at the wrong thing.

PASSION
The word picture of the deer panting for the streams of water expresses passion and desire to the point of death since water is essential for life. The deer is a picture of desperation, and in the same way, we should be desperate for God. We need to seek God with longing and thirst.

• Do we have such passion?
• Do we thirst for God?
• Are we willing to know the living and true God?
• Do we desire to meet with God?

BARRIER
There is a barrier between us and God. It is an ugly barrier and it is known by an ugly word, sin. But God sent his son to break down the barrier and make it possible to encounter God. When Jesus died on the cross he paid the price for our sins and satisfied the judgment of holy God. The resurrection makes clear the judgment is complete and eternal life is available in Christ.

WHERE
God makes the way to us and invites us to come to him. The where is not a place but a person, Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me." John 14:6. The Gospel of John says, "To as many as received him who believe on his name he gave the right to become the sons of God." John 1:12.

Jesus invites us to come to him; in him, we find the fulfillment of all our thirst.

To learn more about coming to God follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/28/13

How To Learn Way Of The Lord. Psalm 86:11

How can anyone learn the ways of God? This would be a very wonderful thing, but isn't God beyond our understanding? There is a way and the Bible tells us how.

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11. NIV*.

THE POINT
This Bible verse answers our question by giving us a prayer to pray. It is the simplicity of the concept that causes us to miss the point, the point is that to know God and his ways we need to pray and ask him. He is willing to share himself with us but we are so busy and obsessive that we neglect to bring him in by prayer or other disciplines such as reading the scriptures, service, fellowship, etc.

WHAT THE PRAYER SUGGESTS
Where else can a person learn the ways of the Lord than by the Lord? We may read books and take courses, but we must ultimately be taught of the Lord by the Lord. We need to sit at the Lord's feet and listen and learn. We need to set aside time to spend with Him daily.

THE WAY OF THE LORD
The way of the Lord is how he acts based on his character. Knowing what God is like helps us to please him. When we learn the "Way of the Lord," the natural result is that we live the life he wants us to; that is why the verse says "I will walk in your truth." This world is full of falsehood and darkness, we even doubt ourselves, and we need God to show us his truth.

OUR DIVIDED HEART
We need an "undivided heart," a united heart that is all put together for God. Sometimes we are pulled in two directions when it comes to the spiritual. We are torn between God and the world; on one hand, we love God on the other, we may love a particular hobby, or interest, or image, or just ourselves, and it pulls us away from spending time with God. Those things are not bad but we just spend too much time with them.

We need God to give us this "undivided heart," because it is nothing we could ever achieve ourselves; there is not a course or pill or philosophy that will give it to us. We need to make this prayer our daily prayer that today and every day he gives us an undivided heart.

Adron

* To read this verse in other translations follow this link:Psalms 86:11.

© Adron 12/12/12

What Are the Worst Sins? Jeremiah 2:13

Sin is a subject no one likes and opinions vary greatly.  We all have something different to say about sin but what God says may surprise us.

"My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water," Jeremiah 2:13, NIV

That God says "My people..." and then goes on to tell of their waywardness.  We are intended by our Creator for His pleasure, glory, and to be His treasured possession.  God longs to lavish His love and blessing on us and it is the crowning of blessing to be called "My people..."

TWO SINS, SIN NUMBER ONE:
We have forsaken God.  To forsake is to leave behind with deliberation.  We have left God out of our thoughts, lives, and plans.

Overflowing Well of Living Water

In the Bible, God refers to himself as the spring of living water, not just water that is necessary for life but, "The spring of living water."  This spring is in the singular tense, for there are not many springs of living water only one.  There is only one God and He is the source of life, salvation, and blessing.

Water is essential for life but this water is more than that- it is the "Living Water."  Not just sustaining life but being life itself.  This is a beautiful picture of God.

SIN NUMBER TWO:
We have dug our own cisterns.  A cistern is a well.  Instead of drinking from a natural spring, we have chosen to scrape through the dirt to find dubious water.  We have built our own philosophies and religions that reject the true God.  Some of our cisterns are romance, wealth, the American dream, a dreamy world of our own values, the good life, or the next high.

Everybody has experienced the thrill of getting a new toy, job, or relationship; only to find the excitement soon diminishes and we feel empty, looking for the next source of satisfaction.  Those are the broken cisterns.  They are the broken promises of a life that are from drinking out of the wrong well and not the spring of living water.

THE SUM OF THE TWO:
These two sins are two sides of the same coin they amount to rejecting God in favor of our own designs.

THE ONE WHO IS LIVING WATER:
Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10).  Jesus is the water of life, to find him is to find life, to serve him is to serve life; everything else doesn't hold water.

To learn more about Jesus see my other blog just follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

Can We Please God? Hebrews 11:6

Is it possible to please God? If you are asking that question, then this scripture will help. 

Can God, who is so holy and shrouded in mystery that he is hidden from the human view, be pleased by anything sinful fallen human beings do?

"And without faith is it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6, NIV.

There are many things that people do to try to please God.

• Some try good deeds.
• Some try religion.
• Some try prayer or meditation.
• Some try mystical disciplines.
• Some try penance or self-punishment.
• Some try self-denial, such as fasting.
• Some try sacrificial giving of time, money, or other things.

Some give up because they feel the impossibility of pleasing God is like chasing butterflies, it is a pretty thing but a waste of time.

It is possible!
If we say it is impossible to please God without faith, then the other side of the matter is that with faith, it is possible to please God. The Bible gives many examples of people who were unlikely to be accepted by God yet were made right with God by their faith...

• Noah made wine, got drunk, and cursed his son.
• Abraham was a liar concerning his wife.
• Moses was a murderer of the Egyptian taskmaster.
• Rahab was a harlot.
• David was an adulterer.
• Isaiah confessed his unclean lips.
• Jonah ran from obedience.

To list a few.

These patriarchs fell far short of perfection, but each one pleased God because they expressed faith in God's promise either in word or deed. Each found acceptance with God.

When God looks for faith, what is He looking for?
God honors the smallest seed of faith. He wants us to believe that he exists and rewards those who earnestly seek him. He promises that if we seek him with all our hearts, we will find him. (Jeremiah 29:13).

What is faith for me?
Faith is paramount; we come to God through faith, and it is by the same faith that we live our lives. Just as we trust God to give us salvation because of his work through his Son on the cross, we trust him to give us blessings through the same work of his Son on the cross.

Where do I find faith?
Faith comes through the Word of God. "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17.) We must experience God's Word, the Bible, by reading it faithfully and daily, find a community of faith who live the Gospel, and who participate and practice the discipline of prayer. These things build our faith.

Grace and Peace
(c)Adron Dozat 6/21/12

What is Evil According to The Bible. 2Chrnonicles 12:14

We live in a troubled world and many bad things happen- often by the hand of other people. It is clear that evil exists. What is surprising is that the Bible teaches how close it is to each one of us.

"He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord."  2 Chronicles 12:14 NIV.

EVIL
When we think of evil we think of history's despots and dictators, we think of mass murders and cannibals, and humanity twisted into psychological monsters of crime against the innocent. It is a shock to see the definition of evil in this scripture as being simply that a man "did not set his heart on seeking the Lord."

THE HEART OF EVIL
This sums up the life of an ancient king, Rehoboam who ruled the people of Judah. The Bible records the evil he did and gets to the heart of his evil; and the heart of evil was the heart of the man. It was simply that “he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” As a descendant of Solomon; you would think he would do great things. He had the advantage of a good family, a prince’s education, wealth, and leadership but that did not spare him the title of evil. He is one of those "ifs," if he had set his heart on seeking the Lord he would not have been branded as a person of evil.

FIRST
We wonder which came first; the evil or the heart that does not seek the Lord, but does it matter? The warning is very clear, whether it is not to become evil that we must seek the Lord or because it is evil if we don’t seek the Lord; either way not seeking the Lord and evil go together. We say, "OK. I have done a few bad things but I am not evil," but what does the verse quoted above say? No matter what arguments we come up with the connection remains evil and the heart that does not seek the Lord go together.

SEEK THE LORD
Many point to a few religious duties and count the occasional performance of religion as seeking the Lord, but the condemnation of Rehoboam was his heart. We must not casually seek the Lord on a few celebrations annually. One may serve the church, community, and God, teach Sunday School, give themselves to charity work, even be an ordained minister but if the heart is not set on seeking the Lord the danger of evil is ever-present.

Let us seek the Lord with all our hearts. Make it a daily discipline, spend time in prayer, reflection, study of the scriptures, and become active in a faith community that honors God. Remember the promise of the Bible "you will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

To learn more about finding the Lord and becoming saved follow this link to read my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/26/11

What the Bible Says to do During Times of Peace And Quiet 1 Chronicles 22:17-19a

Are you looking forward to a time of peace and quiet, or a time of relaxation, maybe a vacation or a retirement? If so, how should you spend that time?

"Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, 'Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has handed the inhabitants of the land over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God..."

1 Chronicles 22:17-19, 

A LITTLE CONTEXT
The words above conclude King David’s life. He explained that God is with them and has granted peace or rest to them on every side. So, in other words, they were entering a golden age; all the battles were behind them, they had peace on every side and on every level. They were entering a time free of enemies, dept, woe, famine, and fear; it was a time of prosperity, rest, and plenty- a time of blessing.

TIME OF PEACE
What were they to do during this time of peace? Were they to improve their golf swing, vacation on the beach, or scrapbook? No, they were to seek the Lord. In times of trouble, even the hardened seek God, but there is a purpose for peace and plenty; it is a time to seek God. We want to take our rest and use the golden days to enjoy ourselves and reward ourselves for our toil, but God's design is for the time of peace to be a time of seeking Him. It is in the time of peace that the temple was built.

DEVOTE
The words above leave no doubt about the emphasis in words, "Devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord." This is not a halfway measure. It is not just a Sunday morning thing, but to devote yourself is giving yourself something. There is no stronger emphasis than to devote heart and soul to the task at hand. This means all our intellect, strength, emotions, time, energy, and resources are exclusive to seeking God.

Maybe we come to some days or seasons of peace and quiet in our lives. They are the golden opportunities to seek God. Indeed they are days designed by our very Creator to be used for seeking him. No matter what season you are in, a place of danger or a golden day of blessing, the purpose of God is that we seek Him.

To know more about finding God, read this other post. CLICK HERE.

© Adron  2/23/11

The Lord Was With Him, But Who Was He? 1 Chronicles 9:20

You might say someone is talented, smart, or attractive; but nothing beats the statement made about the ancient gatekeeper, Phinehas.

 "In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the Lord was with him." 1 Chronicles 9:20. NIV.

What does the scripture mean when it says "The Lord was with him?" We know it means some blessing on Phinehas. Was the Lord like a companion to him? Was this ancient gatekeeper somehow more holy than the rest of us?

I AM WITH YOU
If a friend says "I am with you," it means he is supporting your cause or activity, or he agrees with your actions or ideas. If it gives courage and comfort to think our friends are with us, what if that friend is the Lord Almighty?

JUST PHINEAS
Phinehas was the chief doorkeeper, not a king or a prophet. It was a humble position in the community of the temple staff. He did not get to offer up sacrifices or prayers, he did not officiate any ceremonies or minister to the king, he was just a gatekeeper. In spite of the lowly position of gatekeeper Phinehas, son of Eleazar received the commendation that the Lord was with him.

GATEKEEPER
What is a "gatekeeper?" A gatekeeper did a lot of the menial tasks; such as cleaning up, locking doors, lighting lamps, sweeping floors, that is what today's gatekeepers do, we are ushers, nursery workers, building trustees, church janitors, and parking lot attendants. Even though our service is a meager one in the eyes of men it matters not to the Ruler of the Universe, He may still be with us.

GOD
Phineas must have been in tune with God. He must have had an ear to God's heartbeat, and meditated on God's laws and ways. No doubt he considered God his in decisions and made choices that were right by God's standard. He was careful to not do whatever offends God and thereby shut God out.

HUMBLE
Phineas stood outside the place of worship and held the door for others, yet he must have been inside in his heart. God does not come uninvited and Phineas maybe had a daily attitude of inviting God in. Perhaps opening the door for others to enter for worship was a model that he himself should have an open heart and invite God in. Perhaps in simple faith, Phineas just asked God to be with him.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have people say the Lord is with you?  May we all aspire to be like Phinehas.  Let's turn away from that which shut God out and keep open the door for the Lord to be with us.

(c)Adron Dozat 2/4/11

Finding Religion or Finding God. Isaiah 55:61

Sadly many do not find the Lord because they refuse to be humble or they want their own glory, or they want religion instead of a savior.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6, NIV.

NOW
We say “seize the moment,” we mean act now; the opportunities may not come later. “Seek the Lord while he may be found" suggest that there is a time when the Lord may be found and there it warns that a time may come when the Lord may not be found. We put him off saying, “I’ll accept Jesus, but not just yet I’ll have my fun and turn to the Lord later.” There is no guarantee that later will come. If you put Jesus off till your old age will you be able to think clearly and make that choice?

FIND
To say “Seek the Lord while he may be found…” means finding God is possible. It is not just the dream of poets but clearly taught in the Bible. God can be found and we can have a relationship with him.

EFFORT
We must put some effort to it. To “Seek” God is worth, time, energy, and sacrifice. To seek Him is not just a glance in the Bible or attending church three times a year, but to look for Him like someone who moves the furniture around, empties the closets, and upturns the drawers to find some lost treasure.

PERSON
Seeking God is not some monastic ritual fraught with penance and self-denial. The Bible says “Call on him while he is near.” What is easier than to call out to the Lord? This is a prayer. Pray earnestly confessing your sins and admit you are not able to pay up for them; that your sins have separated you from God and put you in judgment, but Jesus is God’s substitute for your sins; he took them and paid for them on the cross. Tell God you accept Jesus’ righteousness in exchange for your sins and that you receive forgiveness based on what he did.

NEAR
God is “near,” because the gospel is free to us, (though it cost Jesus everything). A God of love makes salvation simple for a child, cheap for the poor, and easy for the weak.

If a doctor found a cure for a deadly pandemic and kindly offered it to every person free so that all humanity would live would you say, “No I will go to medical school and become a Doctor and build a research institution to find my own cure for this lethal plague?” That would be foolish. To reject what God offers in Jesus is just that.

(c)Adron Dozat

He is The Judge Who is a Refuge. Psalm 9:7-10

Sometimes when we are trodden down we need a rescuer, but who can rescue us from the big problems we have within and without?

 “The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:7-10. NIV.

GOD
God is the ultimate refuge for our most desperate needs. He will not falter; His power will never corrode, nor will the walls of His strength crumble down. He is the perfect, absolute hiding place for our hearts and pains.

REIGNS
God is in control, for "The Lord Reigns," He is not just pulling strings from a cloud; He is the Royal Sovereign who by His authority and power governs every atom in the universe. God is King and Commander over all, Lord of all movement, events, empires, crisis, dilemma, sun rays, daisies, and the smallest detail of our lives.

ETERNAL
His rule has no term limits so there will never be a time that He will not be in charge. God can’t be impeached; He "reigns forever." from before the creation of time, and He will rule after time itself is crumpled up like yesterday's do list.

HE WILL
A day is near when the God of the Universe "Will judge." He judges correctly with absolute truth and total knowledge; He judges without error and there are no grounds for appeal. He judges righteously because He is all righteous and as God possesses everything needed is to do so.

NEVER
God has "never forsake those who seek" Him. We fail to understand or see clearly now why things happen the way they do, but the Lord will prevail for us. We must hold on to this truth during this life. He will not forsake us- it may look to us as if he has, but that is our limited perspective trapped in earth and time. The fact remains He will not abandon.

KNOW HIS NAME
It is possible to become intimate with God. We must seek Him and not give up even though our lives are difficult and hard. It is an easy thing to seek God when things are sunny and happy but another to seek Him when the storms are raging. Seek the Lord with all your heart, come to Him to find refuge from your sins, and by faith accept the forgiveness He has for you in Christ. He will become your refuge and stronghold.

(c) Adron 6/16/10

Is looking for God a waste of time?

Our lives are spent searching for something. Can God be known, can we have success in finding him?

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29.

These words were directed to the people of Israel as part of the dire warnings against rebellion and sin. God said that if Israel disobeys and sins He will withdraw His blessings and they will go into captivity.

BUT IF...

Then after all the doom and gloom, He says “but if from there….” No matter how far we have fallen there is a “but if...,” Though we wander far down the road of rebellion, He can hear us calling from the horizon. If we are in some prison,  confined to a hospital bed, or in the gutter, it is not too far. We can still seek the Lord and seek with hope.

A PROMISE

Yes, the Lord can be found, He is not lost in some cosmic game of hide-and-seek. He wants us to find him, He longs to share himself with us, and to pour out His love on us. He cheers us on by saying “Seek the Lord your God, you will find him.” There is no vagueness of a maybe but a certainty of, "you will find Him.”

SEEK

We must “seek,” and not just look. Both words are used and give double weight to the urgency of finding God. We must be active in the search. We can’t sit on some mountain top or a church pew and thereby think we can find God. We don’t find God by randomly reading some verse in the Bible once in a while. We don’t find God with a sigh and wish.

ALL YOUR HEART

To find God is not for the faint, or weak hearted. He bids us to seek  Him with “all of our heart and all of our soul.” God is worthy of nothing less. The search for God must be passionate even desperate. To search for God with all our heart and soul is to look for Him with every effort of our whole being. This search prepares us for the finding.

Some suggestions:
• Be open to the God of the Bible and the teaching of Jesus.
• Pray often and tell God you are searching, ask him to reveal Himself to you.
• Read the Holy Bible.
• Speak to clergy and those who already know God.
• Repent of those things that keep God from you.

DO NOT GIVE UP

Those who look and seek without giving up will be rewarded. This is a promise from the Holy Scriptures, a directive from the Lord himself that if “You seek the Lord your God, you will find him.”

© Adron 6/9/10

Advice To The Rebel. Proverbs 21:30

Often we feel frustrated and that the universe is against us, but maybe we are the ones who are against the heart of the universe.

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” Proverbs 21:30, NIV.

NO, NO, NO
The three "no" statements cover everything. First, "no wisdom," that is the power of applied knowledge. All of your intelligence, acumen, or understanding cannot succeed against the Lord.

Then it says, "no insight," insight is that exceptional knowledge that can deduce the inner working it is to understand what is hidden.  All the efforts of superior thinking can’t win against the Lord.

Lastly, it says "no plan," that is the thoughtfully crafted detailed agenda.  You cannot make any map, or blueprint that will succeed against the Lord.

No matter if you take them by themselves or combine them together with wisdom, insight, and plans if you oppose God you will fail.

HA! HA! HA!
Even the casual thinker sees how ludicrous it is to oppose God who is all-seeing, all-powerful, and knows all future events; you can’t outsmart The Almighty.  There is no way to oppose an all-powerful God and succeed.

REBELLION
A person would laugh at the idea of going against God, but many of us, even devoted churchgoers, are doing just that!  We oppose God in subtle ways of rebellion, such as...
     * We may harbor a sinful pet fantasy in our secret thoughts
     * We nurture an unforgiving attitude toward someone.
     * We nurture a heartfelt bitterness.
     * We fail to do the good when we have an opportunity.
     * We may say, “I'll do this service for God, but I’ll do it MY way, and since it is for God it will be OK.”
     * We say, “I can disobey this one rule because I am a special person to God.”

Such attitudes are ultimately against God and just will not succeed.

FOOLISH
To oppose God in even the smallest issue is to diminish the life He has given you and to reject the blessings He has for you; it is a futile and frustrating endeavor.  In the end you will have loneliness, spiritual poverty, and an empty heart.  At best you will serve as an object lesson that the powerless created man cannot succeed against the All-Powerful Creator of the Universe.

Let us seek the Lord and find His will; let us not oppose Him but submit to His loving guidance.

(c) Adron

What Brings Joy To Our Hearts? Psalm 105:3

Many in our world are grim and desperately looking for some inner hope of purpose and joy.  Even people of deep faith struggle to find inner happiness. What is the source of joy?

“Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

Psalm 105:3, NIV.

GLORY
To glory in something is like celebrating it.  We know what we glory in by what we talk about and what boast about.  You might glory in your job or accomplishment or family status.

HOLY
Today few rejoice in the Lord because we have lost a sense of His holiness. His holiness is a wonderful thing;
     * It is a foundation of God's goodness.
     * It means that God will not sin.
     * It means that He is above the wickedness of our world.
     * It means that God will act righteously and fairly in each of our lives and the affairs of men.
     * It sums up His character.

SEEK
We should continue to "seek the Lord."  To seek the Lord is not just for some spiritual elite; nor is it something that happens just once when we are converted.  Today's man rushes from place to place, from event to task and then rushes home to relax and unwind leaving no time to seek the Lord.

To search for God is a daily endeavor.  It looks for the Lord’s hand in our lives.  It is and an attitude that considers him and his word often, and every day.  It puts the pursuit of God at the top of our daily planners.

LET
To let something it to allow it to be or happen, it is to put nothing in the way and refuse to stop.  Here the word let is an action word and points to a decision.  It is to purposefully choose this thing.

HEART
“Heart” symbolizes the deepest part of the basic person, and on the level of my deepest person; our very hearts should be caught up in the joy of the Lord.

REJOICE
Rejoice is like joy in action and joy-giving expression.  It is when our hearts are caught up in joy in the Lord.  If our hearts rejoices in anything else than the Lord it is second best at best, or maybe even idolatry.  We rob ourselves of the joy we could have by denying joy access.

DO IT
We should “let” our hearts rejoice, and remove the barriers to joy, like sins, disbelief, and busyness that crowd the Lord out of our lives.  We need to allow ourselves to rejoice, even pray for joy.

If we "glory" in his holy name we will rejoice because our hearts will be fulfilling the spiritual purpose for which we were designed.

If your glory is the Lord then joy is in store for you- if you let it come.

The Lord is the source of our true joy if you want to know more about finding him then CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the

(c)Adron Dozat 3/19/10

What Does It Take To Seek God? Psalm 63:1

For many of us God is an ideal or a curiosity from our childhood, or he is part of a culture or heritage. To others, God is much, much more.

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirst for you my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NIV. (To read all of Psalm 63, click the link for Biblegateway).

BIG MEANING IN SMALL WORDS
The psalmist says God is his God; he states it as a fact and claims God as his own to the exclusion of all others. It implies obedience. It implies he serves God alone. It implies he made a choice and that choice is that God is his God.

COMPLETE DEDICATION
His dedication is complete; he seeks, he thirst, he longs, even his body, mind and soul is in it. If your soul longed for God like this life would change, you would make time for Him, and serve Him, and worship Him.

SEEK
The psalmist already claimed God as his God why does he still “seek him?” One encounter with God is not enough, like the taste which tells us there is more to savor. The psalmist longed for intimacy and knowing of his God, a yearning for deeper understanding and comprehending of his God.

He seeks God “earnestly,” earnest is to be serious and solemn; or to have a deep sincere way. He sought God with such fervor that it affected his body with longing.

THIRST
He said his soul thirst for God.” To thirst is a deep craving, a strong desire or a desperate need. For the soul to thirst is a thirst is on the deepest levels. He knew the deepest need in his heart was going to be fulfilled by God.

We hunger for something and try many things to satisfy, but it is God who is the satisfaction of our soul. Our thirst for God will be satisfied. Life may be in a dry and weary but you can be assured that your thirst for God will be satisfied. God promises that if we seek him we will find him see Jeremiah 29:13.

(c) Adron 1/28/10

Where Can I Go To Escape My Problems? Psalm 9:9, 10.

These are troublesome times. We face myriad dilemmas ranging from finances, health, bereavement, ageing, and inner peace. Where can we find shelter?

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you. For you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:9, 10. NIV.
REFUGE
We think of a “refuge” as a place where the boundaries are walls that keep out danger, like a wildlife refuge where hunters are not allowed. The word “stronghold” brings up a picture of a fortress with thick and high walls where you are safe inside.

TO KNOW HIS NAME
To know someone’s name is to have familiarity with them, even privilege. If I know your name I can call it in a crowd and you alone will turn and look. To know God’s name is to have a relationship with God. This is His purpose in creating us, and in relationship we find refuge.

SEEK
God wants us to seek Him. To seek something is to search, and look with all our mind and energy focused on finding the thing; it is more than reading an article, or saying an occasional prayer, or attending a meeting once in a while. To seek the Lord is an ongoing thing, it is a daily discipline that may include meditation, prayer, community, and scripture study.

NEVER FORSAKEN
When believers suffer you may ask, "Has the Lord forsaken them?" A refuge is not an off switch. A ship that comes to a harbor does not make the storm end, it continues but the ship finds safety in the harbor. We who believe in God still have troubles, but in the troubles we have a haven and a stronghold.

HE IS REFUGE
Whatever refuge you need, be it a shelter an asylum, or a harbor, God offers these, and He is these things. When you put your heart and life in The Almighty's hands you find shelter for your deepest self. When the Lord is your shelter you come to know him as you would never before. Perhaps this is the reason we have troubles- because they drive us back to our Creator and God.

To learn more about how to find eternal shelter for your soul see my other blog.
If this has been an encouragement will you consider a small gift to help keep this blog going?(c)

(c) Adron

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Adron

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