Seeking the LORD with all my heart...

Am I seeking the LORD with all my heart?

http://youtu.be/NI_1YliutzA - The More I Seek You - Kari Jobe

Deuteronomy 4:29-31


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.

When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey Him.

For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the convenant with your forefathers, which He confirmed to them by oath.

Last year I attended a funeral and was surprised to hear Canon in D by Pachelbel played. I've heard it used at weddings many times, but this was the first time I heard it played at a funeral. As I sat listening to this beautiful melody, I decided that I wanted this song played at my funeral, too. You think about things like that when you get older. = )

I told my son, Tyler, that I would love for him to play Canon in D at my funeral. Hopefully, that's not any time soon. = ) I love listening to him play it; it always fills me with a great peace.

Today, as I was searching for just the right song for my devotional, I came across this rendition of "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God" mixed with Canon in D. I thought I was in heaven! This is an instrumental. I found other versions with singing included but this one, well, I didn't need the words spoken because I felt them in my heart. I wonder if that's what God meant when He tells us to make melody in our hearts?

I'm pretty mellow right now. I have a peace... This song blesses me and I hope you'll be blessed as you listen and read along in Matthew 6 all about seeking the Kingdom first.

As you listen to this beautiful instrumental of Seek Ye First with Canon in D, read the following passage from Matthew 6. Let the soothing music play in the background as you listen to Jesus speak over you. When I did this, I felt a little like King Saul must have felt when David played his lyre over him. I hope this draws you into His Presence with comfort and peace as You take the time to be still with GOD.

http://youtu.be/zeWewPtD_ag - Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God - with Canon in D by Pachelbel

Matthew 6 - This is the Word of the LORD!

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, whill He not much more clothe you, o you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What does it mean to seek the LORD with all my heart and soul?

It means that nothing on this earth has a higher place in your heart. It means that we're willing to walk away from anyone or anything that might take Jesus' place in our hearts. The rich young ruler faced this dilemma.

Luke 18:18-30 -

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

With God All Things Are Possible

24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” 28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Am I willing to sell everything I have and give it all to the poor? I don't think Jesus is giving us a command to sell all we have and give everything to the poor. Instead, He seems to be asking, "Do you trust Me or do you trust your possessions? Are your possessions more important to you than I am?"

Is today's football game an absolute "cannot miss event", while going to church to worship God is not written in ink on my calendar? Is anything I might want to do more important than spending time with God?

Obviously, Jesus was not opposed to having fun and spending time relaxing with friends. In fact, the first miracle He performed was at a party - a wedding feast! And I think God must love it when His children gather to spend time together. That's how we fellowship; it's how we encourage and build one another up in our faith. But when we regularly push God aside to make room for other things, then we just might not be truly seeking His Kingdom first.

Sometimes seeking the Kingdom means sitting quietly, allowing God to speak to my heart.

It's so hard for me to be still and just wait on His timing. How many times have I gotten up from my quiet time to answer a phone call or maybe just to put on a load of clothes thinking "if I just get that one load started, when I'm through with my quiet time, I'll be ready to pop those clothes the dryer." My quiet time should be time for just me and the LORD. My mind is supposed to be focused on Him. But instead, I let things of this world drift in and distract me from the most important part of my day. My quiet time with GOD.


http://youtu.be/wYRXoVmUFmA - Be Still - Kari Kobe


I guess the question I have to ask myself is this:

Is my priority having a wonderful life on earth or is my priority having an unbelievably fantastic Eternal life?

The older I get, the easier it is to think eternally. I still lose my focus sometimes, pretty much every day. But I have great confidence in the One who paid the price for my admission into Heaven. My shortcomings disappoint me greatly, and I'm sure I make God shake His a little each day, but then Jesus steps in and says "Forgive her Abba, she's mine. I've got her covered."

And then I get up and try again. = )

http://youtu.be/JVHZNgYXwMQ - Spoken For - Mercy Me

Holy Father, You are awesome beyond my imagination! I'm in awe of Your Majesty and Power. You spoke and the world came to be. It's too amazing to take in that the Creator of the entire Universe takes time to know everything about me from before I was even born, and that You Father, look me as Your precious daughter. Your thoughts for me are full of tenderness and love. How can I even begin to find words to thank You?

Thank You so much, Father, for Your mercy and love. Thank You for giving me a big Brother who always comes along to pick me up when I fall. Thank You for loving me even though I can't even get through this day without messing up in my walk with Jesus. Thank You for all the subtle and, when necessary, the not so subtle reminders of where I took a wrong turn. Holy Father, You are so good to me; so full of love and compassion, and I adore being Your daughter. Guide me along the path today, help me to hear Your voice and recognize Your nudge in the right direction. Thank You for always being with me and keeping me safe from the enemy. I am Yours, bought and paid for. Use me however You see fit. In the blessed Name of Jesus I come before You, giving You my heart and all my praise and worship. Amen.