For the fire and passion in him were pure and clean as the winds that sweep the hills.”
–William MacLeod Raine (Ridgeway of Montana)
“He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
–Proverbs 11:27 (NKJV)
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“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.'”
–Isaiah 44:6 (NKJV)
I wrote last week about the Lord telling us not to be afraid. I used John 14:1, the first part but the second part says, “Believe in God, believe also in Me.” That is part of our problem, do we really believe in God? Perhaps a good study for the New Year would be a study in “Who God Is”.
We need to, first of all, believe in God. Instead of looking at Him and focusing on Him we look for immediate solutions to our problems, we want our comfort and care rather than becoming closer to Him. A good example, a person who is ill usually wants first of all for the pain to be taken care of; remove the symptoms of the disease first. “Anything which merely gives us relief from the unpleasant symptoms…is not enough…what we should always be interested in, in every realm, is health.” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
This is true in the spiritual as well as in the physical. In regard to sin, man wants to be rid of the remorse, the shame, and the guilt. People would rather take a pill, “take one aspirin and call me in the morning” type of attitude than to deal with the real problem. This is true of spiritual illness as well. People will go to church, sing with gusto, maybe even go to the front and jump around a little, leave saying that they feel good, but it’s just a “spiritual aspirin.”
A friend of mine has been writing on the Sermon on the Mount. One verse has really spoken to me.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
–Matthew 5:6 (NASB)
Many people want happiness, joy, peace, and other things that are included in “blessings.” However, they are missing the point — “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” If these other things are your aim, then they will be fleeting or false or you may never find them. Righteous should be our main aim. “If you put righteousness as your main aim and if you become so concerned about righteousness and true living that you can be said to be hungering and thirsting after it…you will be filled with happiness; it is something that follows.” (Lloyd-Jones) As my friend indicated, that is a prayer he has for his family; I have since made it a prayer–daily–for mine as well, that they “hunger and thirst after righteousness.”
Now, go back to study God. Look at what the Bible says about God. Don’t give your opinion, especially if it contradicts the Word of God. You want to have answers to your problems, your situations, your troubles, cares, and anxieties. Begin to believe in God. Recognize Who He is! This is where it starts. If you want a calm, quiet heart, it begins with believing in God. Thirst for Him; thirst for righteousness.