1 Chronicles 16:11 - Seek The Lord and His Presence and His Strength Continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11 - Seek The Lord and His Presence and His
Strength Continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NRSV) Seek the LORD and his strength, seek
his presence continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11 (CWR) Seek the Lord and His strength; look to
Him continually.
We have here the thanksgiving psalm which David, by the Spirit,
composed, and delivered to the chief musician, to be sung upon occasion of
the public entry the ark made into the tent prepared for it. Some
think he appointed this hymn to be daily used in the temple service,
as duly as the day came; whatever other psalms they sung, they must
not omit this. David had penned many psalms before this, some in the
time of his trouble by Saul. This was composed before, but was now
first delivered into the hand of Asaph, for the use of the church. It
is gathered out of several psalms (from the beginning to v. 23 is
taken from , etc.; and then v. 23 to v. 34 is the whole
96th psalm, with little variation; v. 34 is taken from
and divers others; and then the last two verses are taken from the
close of Ps. 106), which some think warrants us to do likewise, and
make up hymns out of David's psalms, a part of one and a part of
another put together so as may be most proper to express and excite the
devotion of Christians. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
Although it is intensely personal, there is nothing
self-centered about genuine worship. If believers are to maintain a consistent
life-style of continuous worship, they need the fellowship and
encouragement of other believers as they assemble for group worship.
Individual worship and corporate worship feed each other. So on the one
hand, I need the fellowship of the saints. On the other hand, the
community of saints needs me to live a consistent life of worship.
The source of most of the problems people have in their
Christian lives relates to two things: either they are not worshiping six
days a week with their life, or they are not worshiping one day a
week with the assembly of the saints. We need both.
If you go to church only when it is convenient, you will
never be victorious and productive as a Christian. You can't succeed
on your own; you need to have the spiritual stimulation of fellow
believers. We live in such an easy-come, easy-go, casual, flippant society
that people don't make consistent, faithful commitments, and then
they wonder why they fail. The answer is clear. Spiritual success
requires commitment to others....
A pastor went to see a man who didn't attend church very
faithfully.. The man was sitting before a fire, watching the warm glow of the
coals. It was a cold winter day, but the coals were red hot, and the
fire was warm. The pastor pleaded with the man to be more faithful in
meeting with the people of God, but the man didn't seem to be getting
the message.
So the pastor took the tongs beside the fireplace, pulled
open the screen, and reached in and began to separate all the coals.
When none of the coals was touching the others, he stood and watched
in silence. In a matter of moments, they were all cold. "That's
what's happening in your life," he told the man. "As soon as you
isolate yourself from God's people, the fire goes out." The man got the
message.
The church is not the brick-and-mortar building in which the
assembly meets; it is God's people in whom He dwells. In the church -
among God's people, the true worshipers - we must bring a worshiping
heart to stimulate others while being stimulated to love and good
works. As that stimulation affects our souls we do good and share. The
cycle is complete when we live out the overflow of praise and a
continual heart of thanksgiving. Then worship is a way of life. For that
we were redeemed. (From The Ultimate Priority by John MacArthur,
Jr.) [Inspirational SB]
A satisfying walk with the Lord depends on daily worship of the
Lord... Archbishop William Temple pointed out the essential nature of
worship: "For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of
God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination
by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to
devote the will to the purpose of God" [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
As activity increases, and men become successful in doing any
work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods.
There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith. Like the
disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and
seeking to make a saviour of our activity. We need to look constantly to
Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work. While we are
to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take
time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the word of
God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by
the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient
for good.
No other life was ever so crowded with labor and
responsibility as was that of Jesus; yet how often He was found in prayer. How
constant was His communion with God. Again and again in the history of
His earthly life are found records such as these: "Rising up a great
while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and
there prayed." "Great multitudes came together to hear, and to be
healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the
wilderness, and prayed." "And it came to pass in those days that He went out
into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
[2 Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15, 16; 6:12.]
In a life wholly devoted to the good of others, the Saviour
found it necessary to withdraw from the thoroughfares of travel and
from the throng that followed Him day after day. He must turn aside
from a life of ceaseless activity and contact with human needs, to
seek retirement and unbroken communion with His Father. As one with
us, a sharer in our needs and weaknesses, He was wholly dependent
upon God, and in the secret place of prayer He sought divine
strength, that He might go forth braced for duty and trial. DA362,3
Jesus went apart to cure his loneliness. He needed the
silence of eternity as a thirsting man in the desert needs water. And
he essentially needed the silence of eternity which was interpreted
by love. For he who was love incarnate had his own needs to love
and be loved. His deepest need, and likewise ours, could be met
only by God. Ultimately no human being, no matter how close or dear,
can fully satisfy our need for love. Those who imagine they can end
up devouring one another.
Jesus longed for time apart to bask and sunbathe in his
Father's love, to soak in it and repose in it. No matter how drained he
felt, it seems that this deep, silent communion refreshed him more
than a good night's sleep...
Human love and friendship indeed enrich our lives and partly
meet this need - but not entirely, for at the core of our being [is]
...a love longing for God which will only be met by converting our
loneliness into deep solitude, by fleeing the sweets and cordials that may
give temporary satisfaction, and finding the real thing in Him.
Margaret Magdalen [Time with God SB]
Do you find prayer tiring? Prayer is communicating with the
only perfect Being there is. It seems that as we pray, it takes a lot
of energy: energy to stay focused; to continue to listen when you
hear nothing; and sometimes energy when you yourself are not clear
about the matter you are bringing before God. King David, in his song
of praise for the successful transfer of the ark of the covenant to
Jerusalem, shares in his song his secret of being the only man whom God
called, "a man after My own heart." David says to ceaselessly follow
after God, and His strength! It is in God's strength that we can
persevere in prayer. As we access this strength, we are able to seek God
without tiring. David goes on to tell us to reflect on the wonders God
has wrought on behalf of His people, and you, including His Word. If
you want to communicate with God, and overcome your own weakness and
the distractions of the enemy, seek God's strength. You'll find it!
[In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
As we make Christ our daily companion we shall feel that the
powers of an unseen world are all around us; and by looking unto Jesus
we shall become assimilated to His image. By beholding we become
changed. The character is softened, refined, and ennobled for the
heavenly kingdom. The sure result of our intercourse and fellowship with
our Lord will be to increase piety, purity, and fervor. There will
be a growing intelligence in prayer. We are receiving a divine
education, and this is illustrated in a life of diligence and zeal.
The soul that turns to God for its help, its support, its
power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear
perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual
hungering and thirsting after righteousness. By maintaining a connection
with God, we shall be enabled to diffuse to others, through our
association with them, the light, the peace, the serenity, that rule in our
hearts. The strength acquired in prayer to God, united with persevering
effort in training the mind in thoughtfulness and care-taking, prepares
one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all
circumstances.
Religion must begin with emptying and purifying the heart,
and must be nurtured by daily prayer. {AG 290}
ILLUSTRATION
Ben Patterson confesses to a very foolish succumbing to
temptation. After missing lunch one day, he was on his way to dinner at a
friend's house when he saw a fast-food restaurant specializing in hot
dogs. To tide him over till dinner, he stopped to order a snack. The
"snack" became a regular hot dog, a kraut dog, and a chili dog, along
with a large order of fries and a large drink. By the time he arrived
for dinner, he was no longer hungry and was unable to enjoy the
wonderful meal his hostess had prepared.
Patterson draws a connection between his story and what it's
like for us when we come to prayer with our spirits stuffed and
overloaded-not with the Bread of Life, but with spiritual junk food. "Before it
is anything else," he says, "lack of prayer is a lack of hunger for
God."
In contrast, we read the familiar words of David, who was so
passionate about seeking the Lord:
O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you ....
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; ....
You satisfy me more than the richest feast. (Psalm
63:1, 3, 5, NLT)
How can our spiritual thirst and hunger be satisfied? God the
Father is ready with his feast, if only we will attend. He calls out to
us:
Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink-even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk-it's all free! ....
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food. (Isaiah 55:1-2, NLT)
Lord, my days are full of so much that distracts me from a
spirit of prayer and fills my mind and emotions in ways that make me
feel distant from your presence. Help me to listen for you and to eat
at your table. [The One Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD JUST COMPLETED:
http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/
