My daughter and I walk daily around our neighborhood for fresh air and minor exercise. While on our regular walk this past week, my phone dropped and the screen shattered. It wasn’t completely broken, so I was still able to make calls and navigate through my apps. 

Within a day of using my phone, I began to see little cuts on my fingers. The little cuts hurt, but I persisted. I found unique ways of scrolling through my phone and I even managed to rearrange my apps and moved the most used apps to my homepage – to prevent me from scrolling endlessly. Days later, I realized that I had not applied the same effort and energy in seeking God as I had in trying to use my phone. The shattered glass on my phone was a distraction, but I did not allow it to stop me from using it. 

As we start this devotional, think about how much effort you put into spending time with God and building a relationship with Him. Do you do what it takes –  regardless of pain, to seek the face of God? Do you go the extra mile to study, digest and meditate on the Word of God? Do you take time to thank Him for his grace, mercy, faithfulness and provision? Do you pray to Him like your whole life depends on

During this pandemic period, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and wondering. I’ll admit that reading and meditating on the word hasn't been the easiest for me. It appears that my focus has been divided between work, family and a myriad of other things. With everything going on, it’s almost impossible to keep from getting distracted. The bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 16:11 to “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” How do you seek the LORD and his strength? How do you seek His face always? It can be as simple as keeping your heart and mind open for God, listening to that still small voice within (from the Holy Spirit) – that guides and points you in the right direction. Spending time in His words and singing songs of praise to Him may be another way to seek Him. 

The past four months have been interesting. I'm used to being the only one in the house during the weekdays. I spend a large part of time in my office – engrossed in work and only getting up when it’s time to eat. No TV, sound, or noise. Sometimes, I’ll take a few minutes out to just give thanks to God for everything and for having the opportunity to do what I'm passionate about. That all changed when COVID-19 happened. Suddenly, my daughter is now home. She screams, she yells and speaks in terms such as “yogurt, cookies, and umbrella”. She bangs on my office door without regard – when she needs to get my attention. All of these add to the beauty in my life and each instance and moment of having my daughter at home – gives me a chance to appreciate God’s faithfulness. Thanking Him continually for His hedge of protection that surrounds my family and I. Thanking Him for provision, for the place we live in, for the food on our table and the list goes on. 

Seeking His face to me – means to intentionally create time during the day to seek God. For me, I take walks with my daughter during the day and we get to explore and learn new things. While we’re out, she looks at and observes ants, butterflies, and explores the sky to see if there’s any airplane, different types of birds – especially eagles and other small birds flying above us. During this time, I take the time to seek God by saying a little prayer and appreciating God for all He has done and continues to do. 

You may not have the time to walk like I do, but in reality – how you go about seeking God doesn't have to be specific. You can choose an activity, a quiet place or wherever you find yourself to seek God. Take a few moments out of your day to give thanks, to sing songs of praise and count your blessings. Seeking Him shouldn’t be something we do when all else fails. Seeking Him should be our first thought and our first priority – when we wake up and through the day. The scripture says “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. – Deuteronomy 4:29”. That verse tells us that seeking God shouldn’t be something we do as an afterthought, but it should be an active first priority and our first thought. 

Psalm 1  – paints a picture of a man who meditates day and night on the words of God. The words say that the man is like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season and everything the man does prospers. 

Proverbs 2 – also shows clearly the importance of seeking God's wisdom and storing up God’s commandments within our hearts. 

Questions:

How can you start to seek God daily in your life? 

How can you prioritize your busy schedule to find time to seek God? 

What changes can you make today to seek after God’s Kingdom in everything you? 

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    Where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—

    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—

    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.” – Psalm 121

When I read scriptures like the one above, that describes God’s might, His power and His omnipresence, I can’t help but lose track of time. When I imagine this phrase – “Maker of heaven and earth”, I just think of how great, matchless and boundless our God really is. He’s a God far beyond what we can ever dream of or imagine. He’s the maker of heaven and earth, of the seas, of the stars of the air we breathe,  of the planet we call home and everything that we can see, feel or touch. At times, thinking these types of thoughts and meditating on how great our God really is – most often makes whatever situation I'm going through seem insignificant. 

I once stumbled on a YouTube video by Louie Giglio titled – How Great is Our God. In it, Louie spoke about some of God’s creations like the star named Betelgeuse which can fit 262 trillion earths. Just a moment to think about and imagine just how big, immeasurable and endless our God really is!! I’ll implore you to watch the video here – https://youtu.be/atUGBua2AzE

Meditating on God’s word provides a way for us to refocus our mind, quiet the noise and distractions in our daily lives and focus on the never changing and immovable word of God. In Joshua 1:8, the bible tells us that “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Knowing, meditating and understanding God’s word is the best way to ensure that we won’t entertain the wrong thoughts or let our minds wander in the wrong direction. Meditating day and night on the word of God keeps our minds fresh, it renews our perspective, and keeps our heart right before God. 

Further reading:

• Proverbs 1:7

• 2 Corinthians 5:10

• Psalm 19:14

• Psalm 18:2

Count your blessings and give thanks to God.

For most, 2020 was supposed to be the year where the stars align in your favor and when everything you have been trusting God for comes to fruition. Perhaps you were trusting God for a new job, to find your wife or husband or it may be to go back to school. Whatever the case may be, all of those goals and visions got complicated due to COVID-19. 

I’ll admit that this 2020 season hasn’t been easy so far, but there is so much more to be thankful for. For starters, you’re alive and well and in your right mind. That’s a reason to thank God. God gives you the grace to wake up every day and the opportunity to see another day. That’s a reason to thank God. For those who have jobs and are able to work remotely and don’t have to go into the office, that’s a reason to thank God. Having food on your table, clothes on your back and a roof over your head, that’s a reason to thank God. 

In the bible, Joseph went through unimaginable trials and hardship. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, he was lied on and he was thrown in prison for no fault of his. But the bible says in Genesis 39:2 that “The LORD was with Joseph”. Through the many trails and prosperity that Joseph encountered, The Lord was with Him. Through the darkest valley, through the lowest points of his life, through imprisonment, The Lord was with Him. God’s presence was his comfort as the bible reminds us in Psalm 139:7-12 – that we can’t run away from God’s spirit and we can't get away from His presence. Let's be reminded that even during this difficult COVID-19 season – we can experience intimacy with God like we’ve never experienced before. All we have to do is draw nearer to Him and as the bible says, He will draw nearer to us.

I'm reminded of a song called “Count Your Blessings” and it goes like this:  

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God has done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]’

With everything going on, it’s easy to be preoccupied with all the things you do not have, with fear of what might happen, with the fear of losing your job or livelihood. I implore you to turn to God’s word and search deep within it for answers. Read up verses like:  We give thanks to God (Colossians 1:3). Giving thanks unto the Father (Colossians 1:12).  Thank Christ Jesus our Lord (I Timothy 1:12). We thank God without ceasing (I Thessalonians 2:13). I thank God (II Timothy 1:3). Counting our blessings is not an exercise to downplay or invalidate our own feelings, but it’s to remind us of what the bible says in Phil 4:8–9 – to “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do."

Exercise:

• Think of ways you can count your blessings today.

• Keep a list of daily blessings to remind you of God’s faithfulness.

• Make praising God a habit in your daily life  

• Write down what you learn about God or yourself with this exercise?

• Is there anything on your list that surprised you?

I grew up watching and listening to my dad every morning – sometimes as early as 3am, and he would pray till about 6am. I remember vividly that His prayers used to wake me up at night. He will yell, he will sing and he will pray with such intensity that I’ll be forced to cover my ears with pillows. He prays for just about everything and most importantly, he prays for his family – naming us one by one and committing our lives, our goals and our futures to God’s hands. For as long as I can remember, my dad always prayed for my future wife. He prayed constantly for our wellbeing, for her to know Christ, for God’s protection to continue to guide her path and make all things work to favor her. Through his prayers, he thanked God constantly for what we have, for what we don’t have and for what the future holds. 

Psalms 32:6 – “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach Him. The bible makes it clear that surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach us. COVID-19 is a type of great water. We have an assurance from God’s word that says that we should pray to God when he may be found. On Verse 7, we see that “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah“

Jesus prayed! Luke 6:12 and Matthew 14:23 talks about how Jesus went away to a secluded place without noise or distraction to pray. Finding a quiet place where you can be alone with God in prayer is a good start. From the accounts of Jesus’ prayers, we can see that he prayed to guard against temptations, egotism and pride. We often talk about how busy we are and how we don’t have time to pray or read our bible. Mark 6:31, 33-35, 46 details the busy work of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The busier things get, the more He prayed. He prayed for guidance, for direction and for God’s will to be done. 

Exercise: 

• Find something new to pray to God about every day.

• If you’re married, pray for your future kids, pray for their wellbeing, pray for their future goals, direction, friends, personality and most importantly, pray that they will know God. 

• If you’re single, pray for your future spouse. Pray that he/she will know Christ and that God will guide his or her steps from this moment forward. 

• Pray that when you and your future spouse meet, you won’t be confused or be attached. 

• Is there a friend, worker or family member that you can pray for? 

• Pray that God will help you grow in grace and in knowledge of Him

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success, he concluded that to become the best in the world or master something, one had to practice for 10,000 hours. The premise of the book has since been refuted. Knowing and seeking God will take your own lifetime. Let that sink in. You’re not building a relationship with God to become a so-called master or to be the best in the world. Your relationship with God is an ever changing and evolving process. Seeking the fullness of God, Mediating on His word, Counting your blessings and Praying are all part of your daily work of building and drawing closer to the most high God. According to Jeremiah 29:13 – if we seek God, the bible tells us that we will find Him when we seek Him with all your heart. Our main goal is not to master seeking God by doing a 10,000 hour bid. Our main focus should be termed the “The Lifetime Rule”. A lifetime of seeking God daily by repeating Day 1 to Day 7 every single day of your life.

Joshua 1:8 sums up the main idea of this devotional. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Ways to key in to God’s word daily: 

• Read your bible

• Follow a devotional 

• Listen to sermon 

  • https://www.desiringgod.org/messages

  • https://www.gty.org/sermons

  • https://moorelife.org/Sermons

  • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUryFuSbUCdano19jRJQVg