Seek the Lord – A Crucial Discipline for Godly Living

“Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.”

Psalm 105:4

Dear Kids,

There are certain things that you only have to do once in a lifetime. There are other things that should be done every once in a while. But there are still other things that must become part of your daily routine. These are crucial if you want to succeed or even survive. One of these necessities is continually seeking the LORD and His strength.

The Purpose of Spiritual Disciplines

There was a time in my life when I misunderstood some of the disciplines for Christian living. As a child I was taught the importance of prayer and reading God’s word. But somehow I fell into the trap of thinking daily devotions were a type of heavenly homework. I misunderstand the purpose thinking that God would be more pleased with me if I “did” these daily tasks. But as I’ve grown older I developed a clearer vision of the purpose of these disciplines. They are not just busy work. They are how we get to know God, develop a relationship with Him, and crucial for living a powerful Spirit-filled life!

The Psalmist reminds us to seek the Lord and His strength continually. As we abide in Christ we receive the power to do all things. Without Him we can do nothing, for even the very breath we breathe is a gift from His powerful and loving hand.

As we spend time listening to His words through the Bible and respond back to Him in prayer, we receive the strength needed to face all that life holds. Our time with the Lord is like putting fuel into a vehicle. God fills us with His power as we stay connected to Him. We can’t fill our tank once and expect to keep moving forward forever. We must continually go back to the source of the power.

A Personal Example

Dad and I moved to Ohio from New Jersey when Emily was six weeks old. Dad started a new job right away, and I found myself trying to navigate all sorts of changes with a sixteen-month toddler and a newborn. We had only been here a few days before I needed to get to the store. But I had a problem. The fuel tank on my car read empty, and in all of my 26 years I had never pumped gas. No one pumps gas in New Jersey. They just drive up, roll down the window, and yell to the attendant “fill it up.”

I knew I couldn’t get to where I needed to go without it, so I drove to the local gas station. After some difficulty I finally asked a kind gentleman to help me. He showed me how to get the cap off and how to work the machine. From then on I returned again and again to fill up my tank whenever I got low on gas.

Seeking the Lord Daily Gives Strength

In the same way I have learned to continually seek the LORD on a daily basis. It is through relationship with Him that I receive strength to help me through the day. There were many times over the years as I cared for babies, navigated new experiences, and struggled with overwhelming difficulties that I found the power to keep going. My time with the Lord has become life-giving, rather than just heavenly homework needed to keep God happy.

I only had to learn how to pump my own gas once, but I continually go back to the fuel station every time my gauge shows I’m on empty. Once I understood the purpose of spending time with the Lord I have found that my daily need for connection with Him grows more and more necessary for survival. This is why I agree with the Psalmist: if you want to have the power for Godly living, you must regularly engage in this crucial discipline. Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.

Love,

Mama

Psalm 105

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