ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A VALUABLE POSSESSION?

SCRIPTURE:
And without faith 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)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever misplaced something of value to you personally?
Do you remember how diligently (and sometimes frantically) 
you searched until you found it?
And, do you remember the peace and joy you felt when you found it?
This is what the scriptures mean when they say we are rewarded by God
Himself, whenever we seek Him in the same way we do other things of value.
Why? Because He is the most valuable possession we could ever have!

Think back to when you were a child and you had a moment of fear.
You were scared, 
but you knew that if you could just find your father you would be safe again.
You may have frantically searched for him; you may have shouted out his name;
you may have screamed, “Where are you daddy?”.
You knew he was ‘somewhere’, but you needed him beside you, right then!
Remember the reward of peace you felt when you found Him?

That is a great illustration of how we should be seeking God.
We need Him beside us so everything will be okay and we can find peace.
When we find Him, 
we can be expect a reward – it may be just the smile that is brought to our face.
Although it could be much more if we are going through a difficult time.
Just like our earthly dads are usually around us somewhere, 
God is also available and near us when we call out His name.

Fathers have a major responsibility to the children God has blessed us with.
Our children need to see a glimpse of their Heavenly Father in us.
We should love our children when they may seem unlovable.
We need to forgive them when they seem unforgivable.
We need to encourage and lift their spirits whenever possible.
We should take the initiative to reconcile (reunite) with our children 
whenever something has caused a gap in our relationship. 

The list could go on and on, but the important thing to remember 
is - we should do these things because our Heavenly Father treats us this way.
Our life is a walk of faith, meaning everything that we do 
and think must be based on our faith in Jesus Christ. 

As Christians, we have been exhorted to a total faith in our Lord. 
Take no thought for tomorrow . . . for your Heavenly Father knows 
that you have need of all these things (Matthew 6:32, 34). 
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6). 
Commit your works to the Lord 
and your thoughts will be established (Proverbs 16:3). 
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, 
and He shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5). 

True faith has two steps: 
submitting our will to God and then placing it in His hands. 
We begin this walk of faith by refusing our personal desires 
in order to allow God’s will to be our first desire. 
We become indifferent to ourselves and totally focused on God. 
We resign ourselves to what the Lord wants in all things, 
no matter what they are, where they come from, or how they affect our life. 

Faith is forgetting our past, leaving the future in God’s hands, 
and devoting the present fully and completely to Him. 
The walk of faith is a walk of self-denial. 
The walk of faith is a walk that will allow us 
to understand the very meaning and essence of life. 
The walk of faith begins just like a child learns to walk – with stumbling 
and falling, but with total confidence that we will be able to walk.  

ACTION:
When is the last time you earnestly sought the Lord?
Do you seek Him daily?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your constant availability. I realize 
that when I have trouble finding You, I am the one who has moved, 
and not You. Help me to deny myself more each day so that I can 
have more room in my thoughts and actions for Your Will. I want to 
receive the rewards I have missed out on as a result of my selfishness.”