Dad and I are continuing to work through Renovation of The Heart. A wonderful book by Dallas Willard.
I was working thru some of the questions yesterday morning and this was the question...
"What kind of person is God actively seeking?"
Oh my...I thought to myself. Do I really want to read the list of do's and do not's and then see how I measure up? How depressing would that be!
Then I read in a devotional book on advent, some commentary on Christs genealogy. The author was pointing out some interesting facts...
Abraham begot Isaac...what about Sarahs Maidservant and Ishmael?
Isaac begets Jacob...but what about Esau, whom Jacob stole his birthright from?
Jacob begets Judah..not no mention of how Judah sold his brother into slavery.
David is in the line of Christ, but he also was responsible for an affair that lead to a cold murder and the death of a son.
Tamar is also in the genealogy, but her past is not. She disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced her father in law Judah to get a son out of him.
Rahab was a real life prostitute and she too is mentioned in Christs genealogy.
What is the deal?
Why would God choose to use a man who didn't trust in Gods provision to be the Father of Christs Genealogy. Why did God mention Jacob who cheated his way to first place and not his poor brother who was cheated out of his birthright.
Why would God use Judah and not Joseph. The patient one who endured so many hardships with such integrity and moral excellence?
Why use David who lacked self control even to the point of deceptive murder?
And why choose the unconventional pregnancy of a peasant girl to birth eternity onto our planet?
I believe the answer can be found in His Word...in John, where we read of a Samaritan woman who is so ashamed of her life, that she travels to the well in the middle of the day so she will bypass seeing her contemporaries. One day instead of encountering the mean spirit of a sour old gossip, she meets her Messiah, her Savior.
And it is at this meeting that Christ assures her..
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for The Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23
Kevin calls this heart not hands.
It is so clear in Christs story throughout the old testament and the new. Jesus wants your heart! He doesn't want empty actions! He wants your heart.
He cares very little for outward signs intended for show. Yet He is extremely sensitive to the slightest inclination of the heart towards Him.
"Whoever will call upon the name of The Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12-13
When we reach the end of ourselves... we can reach God.
The irony of it all is that in so many of our "religious acts" we are climbing further and further away from God and closer and closer to the spiritual decay of self sufficiency. Is this not what the tower of Babel was all about. Trying to get closer and closer to God by our own means, our own efforts, our own plans!
When all He wants is our humble hearts and a contrite spirit.
Perhaps Abraham did not trust God in the moment of one or two decisions..but apparently God was not through with him yet!
Maybe Tamar did something as nauseating as mentioned up above...but God was not thru with her either.
And each morning, in the countless journals that can be found on my bookshelf I commit my ways to The Lord. Pray to Him. Confess to Him. Promise to Him that I will live for Him. I will remember Him all day today.
And yet, as I turn the corner and head towards the back bedroom, Genesis pushes thru Christians door CREEK says the door at 530am when I am trying to sneak out for a walk and NOT wake the children. Then Genesis shakes her collar and the sounds are like clanging symbols magnified by a microphone. The cat meows and the thought flashes thru my mind that I would like to kick the dog across the room and banish the cat to the outside realm forever!
Yuck! Where did that come from and how can I get rid of it!
And yet, a few hours later I am at the grocery store sharing my testimony.
The same hands that pen this blog, years ago, penned their pledge to never seek God. And yet my greatest desire today is to bring Him Honor and Praise. My greatest desire is for Him to use me in the progression of His Kingdom in spite of myself (and my wicked thoughts & deeds!)
Am I like David, who in one moment of passion commits an affair and in another proclaims the Mighty Hand of God?
I believe I am. I pray I am now on an upward trend. But I know I am human and I will always commit acts that make me wish I was not trapped by this flesh. But the relief is, I can always go to The Father and His arms will always be extended as long as I am turning to Him.
Return to my original question...what kind of person is God seeking?
He is seeking those that are truly seeking Him in their hearts.
Not those who are on every church committee, attend every service, even every Bible Study.
He is seeking your heart. He is seeking your spirit.
When your spirit is His, then He will use you!
May my spirit truly seek you Precious Child, Lamb of God, Servant King.
