Seek the Lord and Find HimVoorbeeld

WILL WE LISTEN?

Read Psalm 63:1.

If we are going to seek after God earnestly, we must draw near to Him and immerse ourselves in His Word. In Deuteronomy 6:3, Moses pleads with God's people to listen. We too must listen to Him and hear His heart, His thoughts, and His ways so we are not blindly swayed by man's way of thinking.

As Christians, we are not saved by abiding by the laws of the Old Testament or Old Covenant, but we need to know God's Word so that we can know God and know His heart. The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need to read the Old Testament and ask good questions: Who was the audience? How is today's Christian audience different? What did the Lord require of His people? What are the essential principles to be gleaned? And we need to think of all these things through the lens of the Gospel.

Today we are under a New Testament, or a New Covenant, and free in Christ. In some ways, the law of Christ and the New Covenant is more demanding than the old letter of the Law. When we are more acquainted with the old, we can more fully comprehend the new, but it is only through Christ's righteousness that we can live and think rightly!

Read Galatians 2:20. Our righteousness is not gained through our ability to obey the Law; instead, we have been given Christ's righteousness so that we might live for Him! Even in the Old Testament, God's people were saved by grace; righteousness came from faith and not from obeying the Law.

We need someone to help us see God's way and His standard of righteousness. The psalmist can help us! When we hear his heart of love for God and His law, we are inspired. We can then cry out to God to give us a heart like his! Make this your prayer. Read Psalm 119:1-32 and observe how the psalmist describes God's Word and His commands. What are the psalmist's feelings or affections about God's Word?

Does your heart fall short of these affections? Don't shrink back, but instead draw near to God. Confess any lukewarmness, unbelief, apathy, or feeling of inadequacy. Put your hope in Him alone and not in your ability to be righteous and think righteous thoughts.