What are you seeking these days?

As I was praying and reading the Bible this morning, something stood out and felt like it was a very relevant word for these days. So I thought to share it in the hope that some might take heed and consider what they are focusing on in these last days and why.

This Scripture stood out to me:

"And do you seek great things for yourself? DO NOT SEEK THEM, for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh" says the Lord (Jeremiah 45:5)

What are you seeking these days? What are you consumed by? What is taking your time? What are you spending your energies on? What are you thinking about these days? What are you giving yourself to? Since these are the last of the last days (it was already considered the last days when the apostles wrote the New Testament), it is high time that we consider our ways and get right before the Lord.

The question is: Are you seeking GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELF? Are you after great things? Are you trying to store up riches on earth where the moth will eat it and the thief steal it? For Jesus said that where your treasure is, that is where – for sure – your heart will be also. In other words, you have no choice, if you run after these things, if you seek to store up treasures for yourself on earth, your heart will by default be on those things and not where it is meant to be, with the Lord. For you cannot serve Mammon and God, you can't be loyal to both and you will end up despising the Lord.

So what do you treasure in your heart? The Bible says to "Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23) What are you doing to guard your heart? Are you examining yourself to make sure you are in the faith, as the the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul commands?

So, let's get back to our question: Are you seeking great things for yourself? The world these days is full of things to seek, they are all around us and the media is doing a marvelous job of pouring so many options before us. Are you being taken by the flood of advertising that is enticing the world? Are you seeking friendship with the world by acumulating just as many things as they have, so you are well viewed by them? God said that friendship with the world is emnity against God. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life are part of it.

Now, what does the word seek means? It means actively pursuing something with intensity. Are you seeking great things for yourself?

As I kept on meditating on this verse, the Lord directed me in the New Testament to show me what we should seek. You probably think that I will say: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness… no, though this is valid. The Lord led me to John 13:50 where Jesus speaks of Himself and what command He received from the Father to give to us. One command:

"And I know that His command is everlasting life." Simple, but profound. God's one command is that we seek and treasure and give our attention and our efforts to the eternal life. But WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE? Is it just us being saved from hell so we can be in heaven, forgiven of our sins, or …? We will let Jesus answer this question also, a few chapters later in John:

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3)

In other words, to have eternal life is not just being saved from hell with a ticket to heaven, but it is to intimately know the Father and Jesus and be actively involved in a close relationship with God.

As any other relationship, to maintain it, it takes effort, humility, putting things right and not allowing other loves to take away from this relationship. Without constant effort, no relationship will remain healthy or even exist. And as Jesus Himself put it:

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (like seeking eternal life)"

Many times we read this verse and think Jesus is talking about Himself that He has great love because He lays His life for us. But if we read it in the context, He says that that's how we should be if we want to be His friends – lay down our life and do whatever He commands us. This is the love He is seeking from His followers. He of course exemplified it, but here He is talking about what He wants from us in our friendship with Him.

So today, we are faced with a choice: Are we going to seek great things for ourselves (eg: listen to the teaching of many preachers who teach greed in the name of prosperity) or are we going to seek eternal life, knowing God and a close intimate friendship with God? I live the answer for you to give before the Lord ….