SEEKING GOD BY RENDING MY HEART

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Church’s observance of the Lenten season.  These 40 days are set apart for drawing closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a chance for me to think and dwell on Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.  A common practice during this season is ”giving something up for Lent,” which symbolizes the food and water Jesus gave up while in the desert.  If I’m giving up something, then I need to replace it with something else, hopefully of greater value.  What God really wants from me this Lenten season is to repent and draw closer to Him.  What I’m giving up is whatever it is that has been keeping me away from Him.  During the next 40 days, let’s walk together with the aim of drawing closer to Jesus. 

This week, I am exploring what God says about SEEKING HIM. As I enter prayer now, I reflect on God’s instruction: “Even now,’ declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 

Lord, let me seek after You with all my heart.   

I pray I would hear from You as I seek You today. 

Let me consider the words of God from Joel 2:13-14: 

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.  Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. 

I come to the Lord today seeking HIM alone, not the things He can do for me.  When I recognize Jesus as LORD of my life, I should seek Him and expect Him to guide me however He desires. 

It is through these Divine encounters that my prayer life will be refreshed.  When I seek Him, I let go of my desires and seek what He desires for me.  I desire to know my Lord so personally that His voice is the loudest and most profound. 

Lord, I desperately want what You want for me. 

Help me to seek You instead of seeking the things of this world. 

By rending my heart, I open my heart to Jesus and to His understanding of my life.  Since I will never truly understand this life, this is my only course of action.  I return to Him because He is the LORD, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. 

Today I desire to return to the Lord and bring Him offerings of praise.  The Lord has blessed me greatly, and I desire to do His will. 

Lord, thank You for giving this instruction for me to return to You today.  I have been allowing the world to bring distractions into my life and into my relationship with You. 

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.