I cannot believe how many dinners I have been burning lately. I think I nailed down the problem today. I love cooking but lately, I love getting it done quickly and I don’t love sitting to watch or stir it. I have other things to do. Taking the time to care for it so it is good has not been my focus.
So, I turn on the dinner, get busy on something and well, there it is, burnt to the bottom of the pan. Not ruined, but needs work.
I had gone through life like many, caught up in the busyness of things. I had been a Christian for a long time but never really grew. I wasn’t willing to stir the pot so I was burnt to the bottom, stuck, in need of work.
The turning point in my life began when I faced a tragedy. I had lost twins in the middle of my pregnancy and it rocked my world.
That event was the start of what God had intended for me all along. He wanted me on my knees in desperate need of Him. He was the only place I could turn for real hope. He is my Living Hope.
I rely on Him for not only the breath I take but the life I breathe.
My true turning point, my true rescue came in His Word.
The words that stand out to me the most from this difficult time comes from Philippians 4:6a, which says, do not worry about anything.My life had become consumed by worry. The thing I worried about the most was losing my child and here I was in the midst of my worry and I had not only lost one but two.
And God tells me not to worry because He is able to give me peace. God has not promised us life would be easy. He has not guaranteed when we follow Him, He will make all our problems go away and give us lives that are smooth sailing.
What He has promised us was hope for the journey. How we live without that hope, I do not know.
What I do know is for us to really lean into God and trust His words to be true, we have to know Him. We have to know His words.
It is easy to want the quick results. Turn up the bible study and church attendance and that will bring us closer to God. Hang out with Christian people and say Christian things and that will make us feel good.
While all those things may be good and have good results, the best results come from opening God’s Word and seeing who He really is.
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 (NIV)
This was my life-changer. This was my life-saver. Earnestly seeking God. I realized through a tragedy that I needed Him desperately but I only began to really know and see Him when I began to seek Him.
We can make studying God’s Word and doing all the “Christian things” just the same way I have been preparing dinner. Look for the quick solution to an end result. Whether the result is good or not, it is done and semi-palatable.
Have you ever said to yourself, I need to spend more time praying or in the Word? I really want to know my bible more and what God’s purpose is for me. I really want to depend on Jesus for everything… but… then life.
We get consumed by life instead by The One who gives us life. We love Jesus but don’t love the work it takes to get to grow in Him.
We want the result, the good meal, without sitting, stirring, and dining with the Bread of Life. We get thirsty but don’t seek water from the Living Well that offers to quench us.
We have been convinced that something is better than nothing and to seek a refuel only when life gets tough. We have been sold on the idea that a couple minutes a day or Sunday morning service will work for our weary hearts.
Let’s be honest, have you ever had a real friendship or deep love for someone you never spent time with or just gave a few minutes a day? I know if that was all I gave to my kids or husband, we would all be in trouble.While I certainly don’t want to discourage or derail any efforts being made, I think there is a point when we lay our cards out on the table and exam the truth.
God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ Acts 17:27-28 (BSB)
I want to live, I want to grow, and I to sprout wings and soar, how about you?
If you said, yes, here is the path to that. God intended that we would SEEK Him. Sit with Him. Get to really know who He is so He can help us define who we are and fulfill our purpose with passion. He rewards those who earnestly SEEK Him.
My greatest desire for you and I is that we will not only have a longing to love and know Jesus more, but we will take action in seeking Him. That we will continually grow closer to Him. That we will see Him as our great reward.
I hope we will realize spending time with Him will never leave us empty or thirsty for something else. That we will know Him as Father and Lord of our lives and seek Him earnestly so we experience the Hope that only He can offer.
God sent His only son because He loves us. Because He wants to have this time and fellowship with us. It was made possible through Christ’s death and resurrection. Because He lives, we too, can have life and have it abundantly.
Seek Him. Know Him. Trust Him. Walk with Him.
Personal Reflections:
Do you earnestly seek God yourself or do you rely on others to feed you the truth?
What has been the results or your greatest reward for seeking God?
Although, there are many ways that you can dig into God’s Word, what do you find to be the best way for you to be consistent or does your time need a facelift?
What would be the next step you can take to have a closer relationship with God? Are you willing to take that step? If not, what do you feel like is in your way? Don’t forget to praise God for all the victories along the way.
I hope you have enjoyed this series on A Living Hope. If you have any questions about how to get to know Christ more, I would love to continue this conversation with you. Comment below or email me at yoursewtrendy@gmail.com
Complete List of Links to A Living Hope 7-week study
A Living Hope: Hope in the Cross
A Living Hope: A New Heart
A Living Hope: A New Hope
A Living Hope: A New Covenant
A Living Hope: A New Day New Mercies
A Living Hope: A New Life
A Living Hope: New Growth
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Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party
Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.
I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.
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Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.
This week’s featured friend is Nicole Kauffman from Courage Hope Love. Nicole’s message this week on cultivating a heart of gratitude resonates with today’s message on Seeking God. Nicole also offers a course on Strengthening Your Marriage Foundation. Thank you so much for joining us, Nicole. I am glad you are here.
WOW! Thank you all for coming and for the 85 Amazing posts from last week. This party has been wonderful thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read posts. Thank you!
You all are amazing writers who share Family and Faith, DIY’s, Recipes, Photos, Giveaways, Homeschooling and more. Many of you have amazing journeys of faith and I praise the Lord we are able to connect here!
Hey, Jaime, how are you?
Thank you for the deep questions today. Drawing closer to Jesus especially as the Easter reminds of the Cross is needful.
Thank you for the devotional today.
God Bless
The Resurrection is our Living Hope. Glory to His Name!
Great post, Jaime! I have experienced SUCH a transformation since I took this step of earnestly seeking Him for myself. So much power when we fall before Him on our knees 🙂 Thanks for featuring me! So glad to be a part of the Sitting Among Friends Linkup 🙂
Jaime, It is in seeking Him that we truly find Him and understand ourselves and then we can find, restore, and make new all the other relationships around us. You’ve really asked some great questions and touched on much needed things to ponder today. Definitely things I need to look at in my own life. This was perfect timing for this morning. Thank you!
I like this line: "We want the result, the good meal, without sitting, stirring, and dining with the Bread of Life. We get thirsty but don’t seek water from the Living Well that offers to quench us." Excellent post!
I just wrote something yesterday similar to this. When we get into the storm, and cannot see the light, we get weary and forget to trust, keep the faith, resist the enemy, and pray, pray, pray. As my mom used to say. The word does give us "all" of the benefits of a solid Christian life. However, as I mentioned in my post yesterday: Isaiah 59:7 -“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
The reassurance comes in this scripture: Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thought that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
His way is perfect and He can and will perfect our storms. Thank you Jamie for this post.
Thank you for hosting!
I'm sorry you had to go through that experience, Jaime, but thankful you are able to turn it into a blessing to others through what God taught you. God is so good! Amen to this! "the best results come from opening God’s Word and seeing who He really is." In the morning, I usually just sit with a daily scripture reading and let God speak to me through His word. In the evening, I try to do a study of some kind. Right now I'm doing the Lent study by Sacred Holidays. Blessings on your Easter week, friend!
Jaime- beautiful testimony! I'm so sorry for your loss, but I am encouraged by you're sharing!
Yes I want to know Him enough that He just oozes out of me without even noticing;)
Blessings and Happy Easter!
Thanks for hosting and I need this. I saved it to read it later.
Hope you have a Happy Easter.
The cooking, ahem, burning dinner– I totally get it and what a great analogy to our faith. God bless you Jaime for sharing your testimony so beautifully and faithfully. Thanks as always for hosting us and Happy Easter!
I love the cooking dinner analogy! It resonated with someone who can get busy and side-tracked and come back to find things a bit sticky and in need of work herself! You said so many good things here. I'll be sharing and pinning. Have a blessed Easter!
Definitely guilty as charged, Jaime! I feel as though my constant busyness has me juggling everything in the air and I only take care of the thing that is falling. So, when my spirit gets empty and I start to fall, I deeply engage in His word again. I read it everyday and write about everyday, too. But there is something different about the one-on-one time without an agenda. It's like any relationship. Those one-on-one times of simply connecting and talking together. Beautiful post, friend. So glad I was here this week to catch it!♥