I am a few weeks late, but with the utmost excitement I wish you a Happy New Year! I absolutely love taking in everything a New Year has to offer. Every year it seems like when January 1st hits we immediately enter a season of fresh starts and great pursuits. As usual I spent the ushering in of this New Year in a reflective state, pondering the past year. Also, thinking about everything I desire to accomplish this year and the work required to achieve each of these goals. I currently have a list of six solid goals for this year. Of course each of these goals are an umbrella consisting of several minor goals and deadlines that I have set to get me to the ultimate finish line. We are a whole fifteen days in and I must say that I am in great admiration of my fifteen day consistency. 🙃 For me the struggle has not been doing the work this time around but maintaining balance in my pursuits.
Among my goals I find that dedicated time with God has been among the first to suffer. Although I have been committed to daily devotion for some time now it is incredible to me how quickly focus on other goals, that only add to this life, can easily take over. Before you know it the time that you are spending with God is dwindling. Dwindling down to naught. It is necessary, especially in this day and time, to put everything in its proper place by dedicating appropriate amounts of time to every endeavor. While it is necessary for me to put time and energy into these temporary pursuits I can’t lose sight of The Greatest Pursuit, Jesus Christ. I pray you don’t either. A relationship with Jesus Christ must be at the forefront of all of our pursuits. It is only through this relationship that we are deemed acceptable to God the Father and are able to receive the greatest gift, salvation.
I have, with joy, seen so many post from peers that have the desperate desire to hear the voice of God, to know Him. The only way to do this is to pursue Him. It is time now, more than ever before, to seek God. Pursue Him with all your might daily. Really want to know Him. Believe it or not He is all the more desperate to hear your voice, to know you. (Psalms 14:2)
It is so important that we don’t take the urge to be more intimate with God lightly. It is unnatural for us to desire to seek God.
Romans 3:10-11 [NIV]
10 As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.
It is the Holy Spirit giving us this urge and we must go full force in the pursuit of knowing God and seeking his face while it has yet to be found. (Isaiah 55:6) God says that His Spirit will not always dwell with man. (Genesis 6:3) In your seeking, know that when you commit with your whole heart God will surely meet you there. He assures us of this constantly in the Word.
Deuteronomy 4:29 [NLT]
29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jeremiah 29:13 [NLT]
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
James 4:8 [NLT]
8 Come near to God and He will come near to you.
Proverbs 8:17 [NLT]
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
In all of our pursing this year I pray that we move forward whole heartedly and with diligence in the Greatest Pursuit. Remember this pursuit offers the greatest payoff and therefore deserves the greatest amount of time and dedication. May we move beyond surface relationships with Christ and may we long for Him as King David did in the 63rd Psalm. Lastly, may that urge never die so that we may fulfill 1 Chronicles 16:11.
1 Chronicles 16:11 [AMP]
Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!
XO,
Courtney
As Told By Courtney 