“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5
When a farmer enters his field in the early spring, there lies before him a challenge. It is one which he can face in either of two ways. He can either rely wholly upon his knowledge, strength, and present resources, hoping that the weather will be good for the growing of his crop, or he can commit the whole matter to God, believe in Him to guide, strengthen, give wisdom and knowledge, providing the necessary resources of rain and sun for a good crop. The difference between the two attitudes is one of faith, either a faith in oneself, or a faith in God alone. Both attitudes involve engagement and hard work, but only one is committed to trusting in God.
True faith has but one basis, God Himself, revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this, by the Holy Spirit. It is a whole-hearted trust in God based upon what we know is true of Him, the commandments He has given for us to abide by, and the promises provided, so that we can appropriate, or receive all from Him for every need. An example of this in the Psalms is when the Lord says: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (81:10) What are we to understand by the Lord’s statement here? First of all, He is revealing to us who He is. He IS the Lord God, and specifically the God who brought the nation of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt by a mighty demonstration of His strength and might, providing for their every need. Howbeit, their faith in him will require the practical application of obedience to that which He has commanded. If we truly believe that God IS who He says, and that which He is declaring to us, is the truth, then we will learn like Israel of old, to obey Him, following Christ. In order for this to be accomplished, it is essential that we grasp that which the author of the book of Hebrews declares: “…for he that cometh to God must believe that HE IS, and that HE IS A REWARDER of them that diligently seek Him.” (11:6)
God is not a God who will not be found. On the contrary, in the Old Testament as in the New, He reveals Himself to be one who, though absolutely holy and sovereign in all that He is, He declares that the one who truly seeks Him WILL find Him. Jesus made this very clear when He said, “If any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.” (Jn. 7;17) What is the Lord saying here? Seeking God is not just a cursory desire, it is a serious commitment. In our day when whimsical and emotional pursuits seem to characterize so many of our day, God stands unique in that He never toys with those seeking Him, never treating us to belittle, or crush the one who seeks. Though Christ is the source of our joy, His objective is very seriously that we will find Him, and this today, whether it be for first time for salvation, forgiveness of sins and a new life in Him, or whether it be for any and every need that the believer might have on this earth. He is the “…present help” for the soul that seeks Him in truth, in honesty and with the whole heart. The promise of such seeking is revealed by the fact that He is a “Rewarder” of those that seek Him diligently.
In one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture, we find where God calls us to first and foremost, aloneness with Him. He calls us to come aside to a private place of prayer, there to believe the promise of His presence, but also, the that He “…shall reward thee openly.”
Dear Father, Strengthen our seeking hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.